Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2021, Side 14

14The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 09— 2021
Conscious Consumption
Locally-made products to satiate
all your desires
Words: The Grapevine Local Lovers Photo: Art Bicnick
With the latest reports on climate change paint-
ing a grim picture, it’s past time to take action.
One of the best ways an individual can take a
stand is by being a conscious consumer. While it
is obviously impossible for everything you use to
be sourced and made locally, that doesn’t mean
there aren’t a few star products or businesses that
you can feel good about consuming.
[Note: We of course know that impetus should be
on corporations and governments to implement
wide scale change and regulations to combat
climate change and that personal responsibility
on an individual is not the answer, that said, we
can all do our part.]
Tea, whiskey and… wasabi?
If you’re looking to warm up with a cup of tea
on a grey day, Hafnarfjör!ur’s Urta Islandica
has you covered. Using local, native herbs like
arctic thyme, sweet cicely and Icelandic moss,
Urta offers unique tea blends to suit all your
needs. They also produce versatile syrups, salt
blends, jams and other products from herbs
and berries that thrive in Icelandic nature.
On the alcohol front, Eimverk Distillery
has been producing Iceland’s first and only
whiskey, Flóki, since 2009. Using 100% home-
grown barley, this family-run distillery har-
nesses tradition to produce spirits that are in
a league of their own — and purely Icelandic.
Be sure to try their sheep-dung smoked re-
serves for a new take on a long-held custom.
If gin is what you’re after, they also have small
batch gins infused with native botanicals like
juniper, rhubarb, kelp and birch. Of course
they also produce a line of Brennivín, Ice-
land’s signature spirit.

But what if you’re looking for a unique gift?
Well, adorning the dishes of restaurants all
over town, Nordic Wasabi, the flagship prod-
uct from Jurt Hydroponics, brings fresh, au-
thentic wasabi to dinner tables across Iceland
and Europe. Yes, Iceland-grown wasabi is a
real thing. And trust us, this is nothing like
the globs of western wasabi (which is mostly
horseradish and food colouring) you find
alongside your supermarket sushi, this fresh
wasabi is delivered to your door within 48
hours of harvest for you to grate into a paste
yourself. For a product that’s intended to
stimulate your palate, why would you settle
for anything less?
Lotion, salt, produce & wool
Sóley is an organic skincare company made
in Iceland, using fresh spring water and all
the best natural ingredients the island has
to offer. Wild herbs are harvested every sum-
mer from Southern Iceland and transformed
into the shampoos, balms, masks and other
self-care necessities their customers adore.
We’d particularly recommend their GRÆ!IR
healing balm and VARMI shampoo. If you
want to elevate your environmental efforts,
hold on to your spent bottles to have them
refilled with Sóley goodness at Vonarstræti
on Laugavegur.

For you salty readers, sustainability is what
it’s all about at Nor!ur & Co. Utilising geo-
thermal energy, the team creates award-win-
ning arctic sea salt flakes and other organic
products that leave no environmental impact.
Produced on Karlsey island in the Westfjords,
they deliver products as multifaceted as Ice-
land itself. If you’re new to town, add a pinch
of the Liquorice Sea Salt to any dessert and
impress all your newfound Icelandic friends
while you’re at it.
One of the pillars of Icelandic sustainabil-
ity, Sólheimar has been practicing what they
preach for over 90 years. Located in the coun-
tryside near Selfoss, this sustainable com-
munity was a forerunner of organic farming
in the Nordics. You can pick up one-of-a-kind
handicrafts or take a trip out to the farm and
purchase all manner of fresh produce and
other organic products. You can even stay
the night at one of their guest houses. Either
way—you’re keeping your carbon footprint
small.

But, of course, you can’t talk about locally-
made products without mentioning Icelandic
wool. Iceland is well known for its lopapey-
sa—those famous wool sweaters—but you’d
probably be surprised to know that many
companies don’t produce their sweaters in
Iceland, and some don’t even use Icelandic
wool. That said, you can always trust the
Handknitting Association Of Iceland. Every
single piece they offer is made using 100%
Icelandic wool, knitted by hand in the country.
They are also cosy, gorgeous and the perfect
thing to show off to your fast-fashion-ob-
sessed friends back home to prove that local
production is the way to go.
Lookin' for some hot stu!
Best of Reykjavík
“Yes, Iceland-
grown wasabi
is a real
thing.”
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