Icelandic Cuisine
Every morning I start my day with food provided by the hostel. The breakfast usually consists of some American staples like cereal, apple and orange juice, and yogurt with granola, but there are also some usual European items like bread with meat like ham, cheese, and cucumber. Since class starts at 9, I usually eat breakfast around 8:20, a normal time to eat breakfast in the States. Lunch and dinner also take place at times similar to the U.S., noon and 6-9 respectively. Almost all of the restaurants in Reykjavik close at 11 p.m., so when coming back late from a day trip, we have to stop at a gas station convenience store to get some food.
One big difference with the food in Iceland is the price. Before coming, I knew that the prices were going to be high, but I was not quite as prepared for the prices as I should have been. Lunch prices are anywhere from $15-20 and the average dinner price is $28. The food in the supermarket is also more expensive than at Stop & Shop or Wollaston’s. In order to cut down on spending money by eating out, I bought food for about two weeks at the grocery store and I make a sandwich at breakfast for lunch. If I have a car and want to go out, I will try to go downtown for lunch between lectures since the lunch prices are significantly cheaper than the dinner ones. The portions for lunch and dinner are about the same as in the U.S. so sometimes I will also try to share a meal with someone else.
Downtown Reykjavik has many different types of restaurants, anything from the Hard Rock Café to Thai to Mexican to very Icelandic. I try to experience the local culture as much as possible, so I tend to go to the Icelandic restaurants which have food like seafood, lamb, and bread, usual Icelandic food. The other times I have come to Iceland, I’ve tried interesting local food like puffin and rotten shark known as Hakarl and while I haven’t been able to find any other delicacies like these, I’m hopeful that I will be able to try something just as unique. The best meal I’ve had so far was at a seafood restaurant where I ordered a delicious salmon burger. The burger had a giant piece of salmon on it with other toppings and came with potato wedges. Another person from the trip ordered a pan of amazing fish with bread, tomatoes, and arugula. I will definitely have to go back and try something else!
