12 regional dishes covered across Iceland, each with the canonical version and where to eat it, city by city.
Hakarl (fermented shark)Main course · ReykjavikHakarl is shark meat, traditionally Greenland shark, buried in sand and gravel for six to twelve weeks and then hung to dry for months.
Hangikjot (Smoked Icelandic Lamb)Main course · ReykjavikHangikjot is smoked and boiled lamb or mutton, smoked over Icelandic birch or dried sheep dung and sliced hot or cold.
Kjotsupa (Icelandic lamb soup)Soup · ReykjavikKjotsupa is Iceland's traditional meat soup, built on lamb and root vegetables with a grain such as barley, rice or oats.
Kleina (Icelandic doughnut)Dessert · ReykjavikKleinur are small fried dough pieces cut into trapezoids, slit in the middle with one end pulled through to make a knot.
Plokkfiskur (fish stew)Main course · ReykjavikPlokkfiskur is a creamed stew of cod or haddock, potatoes and onions, eaten with Icelandic rye bread.
SkyrMain course · ReykjavikSkyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy food, thick like strained yogurt but classed as a fresh sour milk cheese.Hardfiskur (Dried Fish with Butter)Main course · ReykjavikHardfiskur is wind-dried fish, most often cod but also haddock and wolffish, torn into pieces and eaten with butter.Humarsupa (langoustine soup)Soup · ReykjavikHumarsupa is Iceland's langoustine soup, a creamy shellfish soup.Fiskipanna (Icelandic fish pan)Main course · ReykjavikThe fish pan is fish cooked and served in the same pan: at Messinn cod, wolffish, salmon or char with potatoes and vegetables.Pylsa (Icelandic hot dog)Main course · ReykjavikThe Icelandic hot dog is lamb-based with pork and beef, in a bun with ketchup, sweet mustard, remoulade, crisp fried onion and raw onion.Rugbraud (Icelandic rye bread)Bread · ReykjavikRugbraud is a dark, very dense, usually rather sweet Icelandic rye bread without a crust that keeps for a long time.Skyrterta (Skyr Cake)Dessert · ReykjavikSkyrterta is a no-bake Icelandic cake made with a cookie base and a skyr topping.