Butter

Butter is a magical thing. Somehow making everything that it touches taste a whole lot better. But what is it? It's the dairy product that's a result of churning heavy cream. Butter is mainly comprised of three things, primarily fat, a little bit of water, and even less protein. The milk proteins here are responsible for emulsifying the fat with the water, resulting in the held-together emulsified blocks that we're all familiar with. Here in Iceland, cow milk reigns supreme for butter making, and we have Norway to thank. The Norwegians are responsible for introducing cows to the island in the 10th century when people first started settling in Iceland.

But what really makes Iceland's butter different is their grass. Clean, high-quality grass. This is what the cows eat, and by doing so, the cows produce higher quality milk. Higher quality milk makes higher quality, tastier butter.

Hakarl

Number nine goes to hakarl, fermented shark.

The national dish of Iceland here commonly uses local Greenland shark as the main attraction. Just like your wet laundry, the fish is cured and hung to dry. It has an intense aroma of ammonia and an overbearing fishy taste.

One can easily find this in many stores, cut into cubes and packaged throughout the country year-round. However, you may come across two different varieties when looking for it. One cut is redder in color, chewier, and from the shark's belly. The other variety is white, soft, and from the shark's body.

Gut the shark, press out its fluids, let it ferment, cut it into strips, hang it, and let it dry like this for several months. Hmmmm.

Let's back up a second to talk about this. Eating something that might make you gag, smells like cleaning products, and tastes like rotten fish is one thing, but eating something that might be detrimental to the biodiversity in our oceans is another.

There isn't much research on these fish. We know they live in some of the deepest parts of Arctic and North Atlantic waters and are hard to find. We know they are the longest living vertebrate discovered, with a natural life expectancy of over 250 years. We know they are slow-growing, and we know they don't have many babies. Although we don't know too much about them, these few characteristics point toward potential overfishing and vulnerability of extinction.

So, if you don't think you'd enjoy eating something that's openly described as being repulsive, maybe reconsider your order if you were thinking hakarl for dinner. The oceans will thank you.

Plokkfiskur

Number eight goes to plokkifiskur.

This fish stew is a very traditional and humble Icelandic plate. At its simplest point, it's made from white fish, potato, and bechamel sauce. The most common fish used here are cod and haddock. Really though, this is a no-waste dish that follows the "use whatever works, or whatever we have leftover" rule and was most likely born in a time when resources may have been tight. In the stew's early days, leftover meat from a fish carcass would have been used here. Potato was added to bulk it up more. Mix the fish and potato in a creamy bechamel, and you have a delicious, satiating, and relatively inexpensive meal to eat. This is the basis for this dish, and no two stews are identical, nor should they be. Since this is a plate made to lessen food waste, the ingredients families would have would differ from household to household. Some add curry powder, some add cheese, some add onions, and some add peppers, but anything can be added as long the cook thinks it would taste good.

Texture-wise, it's thick. So think it almost doesn't resemble a stew. It's commonly spread on top of local rye bread; that's how thick it is.

Hverabrauð

The number seven spot goes to hverabrauð.

You might hear English speakers refer to this Icelandic rye bread as "hot-spring bread, and for a good reason. It's either baked or steamed underground using the geothermal heat from nearby geysers.

This is one of those foods where the recipe is handed down from generation to generation, and each family's loaf is slightly different.

The bread is dense, crustless, dark, and is traditionally baked in a square pan. Its flavor is said to be rye forward with a decent amount of sweetness in recipes that call for sugar, molasses, or golden syrup. Commonly served with butter, smoked lamb, lamb pate, or pickled fish, this seems like a very special thing to try if given the opportunity.

Now, the bread is cooked using geothermal heat, predominately near the country's geysers. A geyser is defined as "a hot spring in which water intermittently boils, sending a tall column of water and steam into the air."

To make this bread, one would literally put the raw dough into their cooking vessel of choice, bury it in the hot earth, and let the heat from these natural wonders get to work.

Currently, there are nearly 30 active geysers in Iceland, so I wonder how many of these we can make at one time. So cool.

Ice Cream

Number six. Ice cream.

For those of you that haven't experienced this frozen dairy-based sweetsation, you are truly missing out.

Ice cream is defined as "a soft frozen food made with sweetened and flavored milk fat." Here in Iceland, gelato is the ice cream variation that reigns supreme. But, one might wonder, "what makes gelato different than regular old ice cream ?" Glad you asked because I was curious too. Gelato can be described as a version of ice cream with less fat and less incorporated air. This combination results in a creamier, denser, and more elastic product that usually projects a more vibrant flavor.

Flavors are also endless, some of the most popular being vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry, but one can also find more exotic flavors, such as coconut, pistachio, rum raisin (my favorite), or mint chocolate chip. Although somewhat exclusive to the summer here in New Jersey, it is common to eat ice cream year-round in Iceland. Yum.

Meat Soup

The number five spot goes to Icelandic meat soup.

This soup is hearty and gets a bulk of its flavor from braising locally sourced lamb. The soup also often contains a medley of vegetables including potato, carrot, cabbage, maybe some onion, maybe some leeks, maybe some herbs and spices, and maybe something to thicken it up like rice, barley, or oats.

Traditionally, this soup was only eaten as a special Sunday dinner or saved for major holidays, but now one can enjoy this soup regularly throughout the year.

Flavor-wise, lamb is king here.

Arctic Char

Number four. Arctic char.

This fish is found in arctic and subarctic coastal waters, lakes, and rivers worldwide and is no stranger to the subarctic island of Iceland. Arctic char are definitely local here and have been for a very long time. Records show that Vikings found these fish throughout the country's lakes and rivers back in 874. Yes, the year 874. This is where arctic char are most abundant, in Iceland's freshwater systems, despite the country being surrounded by subarctic coastal water.

Typical-sized specimens range from a 1/2 pound up to five pounds, but there have been deviators weighing in at over 20. Arctic char are related to both salmon and trout. They boast a similar pink-orange flesh and are just as firm but with finer flakiness. Taste-wise, they're slightly sweeter than the two, with a more delicate flavor.

In Iceland, you can find arctic char prepared in the same ways you would find salmon or trout, filleted, cut into steaks, grilled, broiled, cooked whole, poached, or baked. My vote is to keep it simple and appreciate the flavor of the fish.

Lambakjöt

The number three spot goes to lamb. Bahhh.

Sheep are an Icelandic livestock staple and can be broken down into three familial demographics:

Ewe: an adult female sheep

Ram: an adult male sheep

Lamb: a young sheep, despite sex

Lamb meat looks a lot like beef but has a noticeably different flavor. It tastes much more gamey and earthy. It’s firmer than beef, yet it can be much more tender. Lamb might just be my favorite tasting meat.

It is believed that the North European short-tailed sheep was introduced to Iceland by Norwegian Vikings between the ninth and tenth centuries. After its introduction, it quickly became a prolific farm animal and was used for its meat, wool, and milk. However, they were much more valuable alive since their wool and milk would provide reoccurring warmth and sustenance.

One can indulge in Icelandic lamb in numerous ways, but I say go simple here to appreciate its flavors and history. My vote is lamb chops, rack of lamb, or really anything straightforward.

Skyr

Number two goes to skyr.

Skyr is commonly sold as yogurt in the United States but is categorized as cheese in Iceland. This was a little confusing. Yogurt is made from the fermentation of milk, whereas cheese is made from milk's acidification. Here, the production of skyr includes both enzymes that lead to its fermentation and lactic acid that leads to its acidification. Research here was a little blurry, and we could really use the help of an expert on this one. Is it cheese, or is it yogurt? Let us know with an explanation in the comments below. Skyr is made from skimmed milk. Texture-wise, it's thick; think quark cheese or fromage blanc. Taste-wise, you'll get mild sourness with a hint of sweetness, a lot like yogurt.

Skyr has been a part of Iceland for centuries and was considered a superfood for the local Vikings.

One might eat this for breakfast or as a snack plain, mixed with fruit, sugar, maybe topped with some cream or mixed with some porridge.

Hot Dogs

The number one spot goes to the hot dog.

Originating in north-central Europe, a hot dog is a sausage placed inside of a partially sliced bun. The sausages here are different. They're typically stuffed with a base of local lamb, accompanied by pork and beef. If the lamb doesn't up the flavor enough, most of the meat in Iceland will be free-range, grass-fed, and hormone-free. The animals slaughtered for your dog were living the life while still living it, roaming the countryside eating the cleanest of foods. Although many countries and cities claim to have the best hot dogs, toppings are one of the biggest differentiators. The classic "Icelandic Dog" is and should be topped with crispy onions, raw white onion, sweet brown mustard, ketchup, and a remoulade. This is all served on a steamed bun.

When walking through the cities of Iceland, it shouldn't be too tricky scouting one of these out. Hot dogs are commonly sold in street stands, gas stations, and convenience stores!

The name "dog" has been used since the 1800s in not-so-far-away central European regions that used dog meat to stuff their sausages. Obviously, eating dog meat is considered unjust in America, but let's back up a second. Do you think anyone would willingly eat fido? If I had to guess, I think this might have been out of desperation.

Top 10 Foods: What to Eat in Iceland