FOOD NEWS
An Iconic Icelandic Food Is Far Different Than The US Ballpark Staple
By Cristine Struble
Seafood dishes like Hardfiskur (Icelandic dried fish), Plokkfiskur (Icelandic fish stew), Humar (Icelandic lobster), and the infamous and pungent Hakarl (fermented shark) are among some of Iceland’s most iconic dishes. However, another dish unique to the Nordic island country is a version of an American staple that those in the United States have come to love.
Pylsa has become the must-have food for travelers in Iceland, and even though it looks similar to a U.S. ballpark hotdog, one bite of this Icelandic hot dog will instantly set it apart. Lamb is often the featured protein of Pylsa, giving it a robust flavor, and it's usually topped with crispy onions, sweet mustard, raw onions, remoulade, and a particular type of ketchup made with apples.
While serving the hot dog on a steamed bun is tasty, it is the two sauces, the pylsusinnep and remoulade, combined with the other toppings which create the ultimate flavor bomb. The pylsusinnep is a type of sweet, brown mustard that lightens the robust meat flavor, which is contrasted by the remoulade's creamy and slightly briny flavor made from mayo, mustard, and capers.
This classic food offering can be shipped to the U.S., and according to Icelandic Mag, The Slaughterhouse of South Iceland secured export licenses in 2017. To experience the authentic taste of a pylsa at home, submerge the hot dogs in hot water or a combination of hot water and beer, but the encased meat should not be boiled to maintain its flavor.