Above 63

I mentioned to my class I have grown fond of plokkfiskur. The room suddenly changed and we talked about what I should be eating in Iceland.

This week we were having a class discussion on the location and site selection of grocery stores in Iceland when I mentioned that I had been working at navigating Icelandic grocery stores. I told them I was doing well, but I was still working at it. When I told them of my affection for plokkfiskur they began to ask me if I had tried harðfiskur. I told them yes, and that I liked it. They warned me away from the fermented shark and whale meat. They recommended the lamb and other fish. They also suggested some candies (including the licorice).

I’ve eaten well in Iceland. Although I have a few new dishes and products added to my repertoire, I’m mostly eating similar to home with some adjustments. I like fish and lamb and I’m eating more–other things are “mostly similar.” Even so, the grocery store itself is both familiar and strange. When entering, it looks similar to the stores back home. You pick up a cart in the vestibule and head in to shop. The produce section greets you with its choice of fresh fruits and vegetables. The product aisles have familiar names such as Oreo, Heinz, and Kellogg. Most of the labels are in Icelandic. Some have English translations which are helpful. Sometimes Google Translate is effective–sometimes not. This week I bought Sólkjarnabrauð that Google translated to “Solar Nuclear Bread.” I took the risk.

Food is something we all need, and moving to a different country provides great rewards and challenges for our palates. We like what we like–and we gravitate to the things we know and enjoy. I am no different. Still, I have found some Icelandic things I truly enjoy here. There are things I’ve made some “compromises” on. There are things I simply can’t get here and I will wait until I get home–that’s ok because I’m enjoying some things that will be hard to find back home.

I’ve been eating a lot of musuli with rosiners and dried fruit. I have been drinking boulion from lam, hon, and and (no that isn’t a typo–pictures help a lot). Tunafiskur sandwiches are good. I eat smoked salmon and herring at home–but the smoked salmon is a major thing here. The frozen fish is very good (cod, hallibut, salmon) and I really like the Arctic Char. Not pictured below is my stash of pasta and rice as well as “what is missing from the images (more about that below).

Fresh fruits and vegetable have been a struggle. They are available and the selection is good. They are expensive and they need to be eaten right away otherwise they often go bad quickly. Because I live alone, I have limited the amount of fresh items that I buy and I commit to making something with what I just bought very quickly. Surprisingly Iceland grows a lot of vegetables (mostly tomatoes, greens, cucumbers, and similar vegetables). With almost unlimited geothermal energy, greenhouses grow produce all year long.

I’m a bit more comfortable looking around the store and finding what I need. It feels less foreign to me. Earlier I mentioned liking the plokkfiskur (fish stew) and harðfiskur (dried cod–I know people who give to their dogs as treats). I’m also taking fish oil and vitamin D. The coming darkness causes seasonal affective disorder for many. I’ve never been prone to it, but I’m being pro-active. The coffee is good. I enjoy fresh lamb as well as smoked lamb in the cold cut section.

Here are some other shots of the shelves. Candy (nammi) is a big thing here-don’t skip the licorice. Pick up a single beer for later. Pick from the array of Vitamin D supplements. I’m not going to tell you what is between the mustard and the ketchup (that is what Google is for).

I did tell my students that I thought the butter in Iceland was better that the butter in Wisconsin. I might not be allowed back in the state after saying that. I recommend eating in Iceland. The food is generally good. Don’t buy into the tourist hype of eating puffins and whale. There are enough really good choices that you don’t need to go there. Everyone tells me to avoid the marinated shark. I’m sure I will be in a social situation where I need to eat it–I will to be polite. My friend Siggi says “it is like the blue cheese of Iceland.” I’m sill sticking with my students’ recommendation to avoid it.

Time to check out. I think the bill is well over 20,000 ISK. My normal grocery bill is between 20,000 and 30,000 ISK a week. As I said–things are expensive here.