Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.12.2016, Blaðsíða 53

Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.12.2016, Blaðsíða 53
53The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 18 — 2016 Christmas Food Find the best food in Iceland! Download our free dining app, CRAVING on the Apple and Android stores You might be wondering: What are the Icelandic family’s go-to festive foods for the holiday sea- son? Or, if you know already, you may be wondering why we contin- ue to suffer through these meals, despite having established access to fresh produce. The reasons for this are two- fold. Firstly, without the means to grow vegetables that need things like, sunlight, warmth and shel- ter, Iceland has historically had to rely on canned goods to make vegetable feasts. Secondly, traditions are com- pulsive for Icelanders. We must do things exactly the same, year in and year out, like vote against our interests and begrudgingly complain about the annual Com- edy Review, aired on New Year’s Eve. So here’s a run-down of Icelan- dic Christmas food traditions ex- plained, so that you might pass for someone who knows what’s what at this year’s Jól buffet. Fermented Skate Want to spend Christmas Eve feeling thankful to be alive? Then celebrate the feast of St. Thorla- cius (the 23rd of December) by eat- ing fermented skate and buttered potatoes with a group of Iceland- ers, all pretending that the rot- ting fish-flesh they’re spooning into their mouths is delicious, and that they’re not in fact training to survive an impending dysto- pian hellscape. And no, that smell doesn’t wash out. Laufabrauð An elaborate and visually pleas- ing attempt to class up what is es- sentially deep fried bread–yum! Best enjoyed on Christmas morn- ing, mindlessly eaten on the sofa while hate-watching ‘Love, Actu- ally’ and massaging your swollen ankles. Hangikjöt Directly translated, hangikjöt means “hung meat.” It’s a hunk of smoked lamb, traditionally served with potatoes, and a gloopy flour-based sauce with Ora beans liberally stirred in. This smoked meat’s delightful f lavour is a lucky coincidence. It was cured to keep during the long Icelandic winter during days of yore. The unfortunate side effects of this salty showstopper include unat- tractive water retention (take off those rings!) and in some cases, the runs. Ora Beans They’re called Ora beans, but they are in fact peas, housed in a yel- low tin with a design that hasn’t changed since the 1950s. Ora green peas are a vital part of any authen- tic Icelandic “white sauce.” Why? Because nothing complements the gelatinous texture of white goo on smoked meat like grainy, pale, sun-starved peas with a slip- pery skin that sticks between your teeth! Behold how we criticise it, and yet, it just wouldn’t be Christ- mas without it. Jólaöl Jólaöl, or “Christmas Ale,” is a highlight of every Icelandic Jól season. It is, in its purest form, Icelandic malt extract and or- ange soda mixed together: sweet, stout and charming. Each family has their own recipe, so to pro- claim one to be “proper” would be wrong. Instead, we will share the best method for mixing. Al- ways pour the malt in first, then follow with the orange soda while holding the receptacle at an angle of about 30 degrees to minimise head or spillage. Red Cabbage It’s cabbage, it’s pickled, and it’s always there to leave a festive red stain your shirt. SHARE: gpv.is/yuk18 Words NANNA ÁRNADÓTTIR Photo ART BICNICK Icelandic Christmas Foods: A Guide Don’t Get Fresh With Us! Hverfisgata 12 · 101 Reykjavík Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is Lífið er saltfiskur #109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its focus on Iceland, the pure nature and all the good things coming from it. It does not matter if it’s the ingredients or the old traditions, we try to hold firmly on to both. There are not many things that make us happier than giving life to old traditions and forgotten ingredients with modern technique and our creative mind as a weapon. 1 0 1 Ó Ð I N S T O R G R E Y K J A V Í K Í S L A N D S N A P S B I S T R O . I S s n a p s b i s t r o @ s n a p s b i s t r o . i s + 3 5 4 5 1 1 6 6 7 7 F R E N C H O N I O N S O U P I c e l a n d i c Í s b ú i c h e e s e , c r o û t o n s 2 . 3 0 0 . k r M O U L E S M A R I N I È R E S s t e a m e d m u s s e l s f r o m B r e i ð a f j ö r ð u r 2 . 4 0 0 . k r F I S H O F T H E D A Y c h e f ´ s s p e c i a l 3 . 8 0 0 . k r E s t . 2 0 1 2R e y k j a v i k
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