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wooden drying huts on your travels around
the country. An acquired taste, harðfiskur is
like a tough, flaky jerky with a very strong fish
flavour, often enjoyed slathered in butter. You
will find it in most food stores and if your ship
calls in at ĺsafjördur, you can sample it on the
Dynjandi Waterfall & Sustainable Fishing
Community and Iceland's Seafood Trail
optional shore excursions.
Arctic Char
Found in Iceland's pristine rivers and lakes,
Arctic Char is a local fish you will find on most
restaurant menus. Typically served baked or
grilled, its crispy skin and buttery, mild
flesh—somewhere between salmon and
GETTING THERE: The 13-day
Iceland's Majestic Landscapes
itinerary sails from Reykjavík to
Bergen, or in reverse.
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VOYAGE
trout—makes it a standout dish. We enjoyed
it during the included lunches on our
Diamond Circle and Northern Iceland's Natural
Treasures excursions from Akureyri. You may
also enjoy it on board; regional and local
dishes are served in The Restaurant on board
the Viking Saturn, perfect following a day of
exploring in the cold.
Geothermal Rye Bread
Iceland's famous rúgbrauð, a dense, slightly
sweet rye bread baked underground using
geothermal heat, is one of the country's most
unique culinary traditions. We sampled it in
dessert form at Café Loki, crumbled into
vanilla ice cream, where it added a deliciously
earthy, nutty sweetness. To experience it the
traditional way, you can opt to visit the
geothermal bakery at Laugarvatn during the
Golden Circle shore excursion. It's served
straight from the black volcanic sand, fresh
and hot with butter and smoked trout, just as
the locals like it.
Sweet Treats
Icelanders are mad for liquorice (lakkrís),
especially when it's paired with chocolate.
You'll find it everywhere, especially in no-frills
supermarkets like Bónus. Our go-to was local
brand Sambo, but we also fell for OmNom's
chocolate bars made with organic cacao and
local milk. You can find them in supermarkets
nationwide, or visit their factory in Reykjavík,
as seen in Zac Efron's Down to Earth Netflix
series. Our tip: stock up—both make great
gifts and are the perfect sweet snack when
exploring Iceland.
Clockwise, from top: Boats in the harbour,
Suðureyri, Iceland; a serving of Arctic Char; Reykjavík
