7 Culinary Reasons To Visit Iceland (Slideshow)
The Fisherman Village
It's all about fish in the village of Suðureyri. Here, the locals have been cooking fresh fish for centuries, and are ready to share their skills with visitors. For a fresher than fresh seafood dinner, bring your own raw material and the fishermen of Suðureyri will help you cook your own four-course meal.
Hot Springs Bread
Hverabrauð, or Hot Springs bread is similar to a rye bread, except it is cooked using geothermal heating. Once the dough is made, it is buried near a hot springs where the heat of the ground cooks the bread.
Icelandic Fish
Iceland boasts some of the most prolific fishing grounds in the world. Thanks to state-of-art technology, Iceland's fishing industry ensures traceability of the product, from the ocean right to your shopping basket, and the country's cod fishery has been granted certification under international standards for responsible fisheries.
Icelandic Lamb
The free range lambs on Iceland are entirely reared outdoors. Their natural diet of sedge, willow, moss, campion, and berries, is what make Icelandic lamb recognized for their distinctive taste.
Microbreweries
Iceland has seen a huge surge in people brewing their own beers (though ironically, beer was banned in Iceland until 1989!). There are now more than 10 small businesses making their own brew, and brewery trips have become popular among tourists, as well as locals. In Iceland, beer and spirits are sold in a specialty store in Iceland called Vinbudin.
VikingSushi Tours
Taking place in the western part of Iceland, VikingSushi is a nature watching tour giving you more than just "watching." Sure, you will enjoy colorful bird life and stunning views of Iceland's nature, but the highlight of the VikingSushi tour is enjoying fresh scallops & sea urchin roe straight from the sea.
The Food & Fun Festival
This annual food festival takes place in Iceland's capital Reykjavik. During the festival renowned chefs collaborates with some of Reykjavik's top restaurants, at which they prepare a special menu crafted from Icelandic ingredients only. The menus are presented at the restaurants for an entire week. During the last day of the festival there is also a competition, in which the chefs compete by making three courses, made out of – you guessed it – only Icelandic ingredients. In 2014, the festival will return on Feb. 26.