Northern Europe—the land of vikings, glaciers, and the most brilliant food. Northern Europe consists of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland. It is the place for an one-in-a-lifetime adventure. You can climb a glacier one day, summit a volcano the next, and spend the day at a geothermal spa the last. There is something there for everyone, thrill-seeker or not.
After your long days of exploring, you’re hungry. You look around and menu hop until you find the place. You open the menu and see the diversity of food. From surf to turf, there is something for everyone. These countries are extremely friendly to any dietary restriction or preference you have as well! Most, if not all, will cater to it.
Each country has their own unique cuisine, but all have the same basic culinary influences from the sea and the ideals of simple and clean yet delicious food. Here’s what to eat in Northern Europe the next time you visit.
1. Puffin
Yes, the adorable arctic bird that we all love. Puffin is known as a more ethical “tourist speciality” in Iceland when compared to the infamous mink whale. In Iceland, most puffin is smoked, which gives it a smoky yet very rich flavour. Puffin can be found in almost every restaurant in Reykjavik, and much throughout the rest of Iceland.
2. Fish
If you didn’t eat fish while you were in Northern Europe did you really travel there? Fishing is at the heart of the Swedish, Icelandic, and Norwegian economies. Most fish served is catch of the day, even if not stated. Salmon is the most well known Nordic fish, and you can never go wrong with it. You can get salmon served to you about 100 different ways in the region. Each time is a different experience.
3. Icelandic Lamb
Iceland is extremely famous for their lamb, and it’s well deserved. Lambs in Iceland have been roaming free around the country for 1,143 years, which means the lamb meat there is like no where else. It’s all ethically hunted, which makes us all a little bit more happy. The meat is also hormone and stress free, which boosts the quality tenfold. If you are to have one lamb dish in Iceland, I would suggest a lamb sandwich in the countryside. The traditional preparation and ingredients used are to die for.
4. Reindeer
Rudolf wouldn’t be happy with me including reindeer on this list, but I have to. Reindeer is a very popular food in Norway, especially during the holidays. When comparing meats, Reindeer has a very “beefy” taste with a hint of wilderness. Most restaurants in Northern Norway offer different varieties of reindeer such as smoked and roasted. Some restaurants, like the one in the tourist areas of Oslo and Bergen, such as Louise, offer it as well, but it’s not as abundant.
5. Seafood Soup
The only way to end of an article about food in Northern Europe is to talk about seafood, again. Northern Europe’s economic focus on seafood, from fish to squid, has a major impact on the overall diet. A large majority of dishes incorporate seafood in one way or another, and one of the best ways I had seafood served to me when overseas was in the form of a soup. Most of the soups had squid, mussels, and tentacles of some form incorporated. I had seafood soup 5 times in the three weeks I was there, all prepared in different ways. Some were creamy, some were brothy but all were delicious.
One important part of traveling is trying new foods, and none of these are to disappoint when visiting the lands of ice, fire, and fjords. So book that flight, discover new roads, and most importantly, eat well.