forks & the road

Iceland is famous for its Blue Lagoon, incredible waterfalls and steaming volcanic activity. There are also weird but wonderful foods and strange tales of the supernatural that citizens claim are true. I started my trip in the east, which is rich in folk tales about elves, trolls and a monstrous worm that lives in Lake Lagarfljót. It’s the oldest part of the country and defined as a “cold area,” meaning its volcanoes are extinct, with little geothermal activity. Wild food is in abundance. My meal at the new Hildibrand Hotel in the fishing village of Neskaupstaur was a delicious indication of what was to come. I ate creamy mushroom soup made from foraged morels, cured wild goose salad with crowberry vinaigrette, Arctic char caught in local rivers and tender reindeer hunted locally. Dinner in the fishing village of Eskifjordur was a step back to the early days of Icelandic food. At Randulfssjóhús, a seafarer’s lodge unchanged since 1890, we had fermented shark (hákarl) and dried slices of haddock washed down with Brennivin (a.k.a. Black Death) as appetizers. To do this ritual is to fully experience Icelandic culture. The Greenland shark used in the recipe doesn’t have kidneys so its toxins drain through its flesh which is poisonous if eaten fresh. To cleanse the fish, its fluids are pressed out slowly over a three to four month period. Then it’s cut into strips and hung to dry for several months. When ready it’s cut into cubes and eaten on a toothpick. It tastes somewhat of ammonia — an acquired taste that the Icelanders’ have, as they pay top dollar for it. en.east.is