Iceland for Foodies: Annual Thorrablot Feast

Put Your Taste Buds to the Test at Iceland’s Viking Food Festival

Feb 5, 2009

Thorrablot, Iceland's Viking festival, runs annually for about one month between late January and early February and calls for traditional Icelandic dishes.

It’s mid-winter festival time in Iceland, and with the country's currency hitting all-time lows, what better excuse could a gourmet need to defy the cold and dark of an Icelandic winter and challenge his taste buds with some unusual flavors and textures?

The ancient midwinter Viking feast of Þorrablót (Thorrablot) is still celebrated by Icelanders during the month of þorri (Thorri, or King Winter) which begins which begins on the first Friday after January 19th (the 13th week of winter). The name might derive from Thor, the god of thunder, or possibly also from the legendary King Thor, who united Norway. Usually depicted as a wizened old man, Thorri is kind to those that respect him, but cruel to those who do not.

Iceland's Unusual Culinary Delicacies

Icelanders celebrate the Thorrablot feast by tucking into some traditional local specialty dishes known collectively as Þorramatur (Thorramatur). These consist mostly of offal dishes like Hrútspungar (pickled ram testicles), Svið (singed or boiled sheep’s head), Blóðmör (sheep blood pudding), Lifrarpylsa (lamb liver sausage, not unlike Scottish haggis) and Harðifiskur (slices of dried cod or haddock, served with butter).

Iceland’s most infamous specialty, Hákarl (rotten shark meat) may have made Gordon Ramsay’s stomach turn, and even the well trained taste buds of Anthony Bourdain didn't get along well with its pungent flavor if he called hákarl "the worst thing I ever put in my mouth" when he visited Iceland for his No Reservations show. Yet adventurous foodies can sample some hákarl for themselves during Thorrablot... and certainly it won't kill them, given that Iceland boasts the world's second longest life expectancy after Japan!

Join in the Month-Long Festivities

Join the locals in sampling some of their more unusual culinary delicacies, traditionally washed down with the country's signature alcoholic drink, Brennivin (burning wine), also known as Svarti Dauði (black death). Brennivin is a strong schnapps made from potato and flavored with caraway. A traditional Thorrablot dinner is followed into the wee hours by songs, games, storytelling and dancing.

Thorrablot-Themed Menu in Reykjavik's Restaurants

Should they fail to secure an invitation to a family feast, visitors may still enjoy a typical Thorrablot meal at one of the local restaurants. For instance, Restaurant Reykjavik has a Thorrablot-themed menu including smoked lamb, horsemeat, traditional herring, sheep-head jelly and soured meats, while Fjorukrain (The Viking Village) in Hafnarfjördur offers a three course dinner with drinks of Brennivin and beer.

New Icelandic Gastronomic Website

Foodie travellers can now munch their way around the “land of fire and ice” with the help of Iceland Gourmet Guide, a brand new online guide launched by the Icelandic Tourist Board in conjunction with Iceland Naturally, a promotional scheme dedicated to encouraging leisure travel and increasing awareness of and demand for Icelandic products in the UK.

Iceland for Foodies

The website features an interactive guide to Reykjavik’s vibrant restaurant scene, profiles of Iceland's top chefs, a diary of Icelandic culinary events and gastronomic festivals, an introduction to Icelandic recipes and traditional ingredients such as pure mountain lamb, seafood and skyr, a unique dairy product. The guide also provides details of where to sample a taste of Iceland on British soil, like the Texture Restaurant in London.

Iceland's Rich Culinary Tradition

In the words of Sigga Groa, UK marketing manager for the Icelandic Tourist Board, “Iceland has a rich culinary tradition of which we are proud. Young experimental chefs are making waves in restaurants across the country and the aim of the Iceland Gourmet Guide is to invite visitors to come and sample it for themselves.”

Sources

The copyright of the article Iceland for Foodies: Annual Thorrablot Feast in European Culinary Travel is owned by Maddalena Delli. Permission to republish Iceland for Foodies: Annual Thorrablot Feast in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.