Food in Iceland
Commonly Eaten Foods:
What would be a traditional meal?
Aromatic Lamb recipe
- lamb
- dairy
- fish and other seafood
- potatoes
- skyr (kind of like yogurt but more like a soft cheese)
- breads and pastry
What would be a traditional meal?
Aromatic Lamb recipe
Instructions:
Put the leg of lamb into a large roasting tin. Crush the leaves of 2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle them over the meat. Add plenty of pepper and 1 tablespoon honey. Rub the mixture into the meat by hand.
Rub half a lemon over the joint, squeezing the juice on to the meat as you do so. Do not add any salt. Leave to marinate for between 4 to 24 hours.
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then arrange them in a single layer round the lamb. Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes.
Pour 1/4 pint water into a corner of the roasting pan, then sprinkle over the potatoes and lamb about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped thyme and oregano, and some salt and pepper. Drizzle on 1-1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then dot with 1 oz butter. Bake at 425 F (220 C) gas mark 6 for a further 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Lift the meat and turn the potatoes occasionally, and if necessary, add a little boiling water to the pan to prevent the meat drying out.
Put the leg of lamb into a large roasting tin. Crush the leaves of 2 or 3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle them over the meat. Add plenty of pepper and 1 tablespoon honey. Rub the mixture into the meat by hand.
Rub half a lemon over the joint, squeezing the juice on to the meat as you do so. Do not add any salt. Leave to marinate for between 4 to 24 hours.
Peel and quarter the potatoes, then arrange them in a single layer round the lamb. Squeeze lemon juice over the potatoes.
Pour 1/4 pint water into a corner of the roasting pan, then sprinkle over the potatoes and lamb about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon each fresh chopped thyme and oregano, and some salt and pepper. Drizzle on 1-1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then dot with 1 oz butter. Bake at 425 F (220 C) gas mark 6 for a further 1 to 1-1/4 hours. Lift the meat and turn the potatoes occasionally, and if necessary, add a little boiling water to the pan to prevent the meat drying out.
Food and Religion:
In Iceland, food and religion connect through the celebration of the Christian holidays. Because the national religion is Christianity, the Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas are observed. The Christmas dinner usually occurs on Christmas Eve. Traditional main courses are hangikjöt (smoked lamb), hamborgarhryggur (salted pork rib) and various types of game, especially ptarmigan stew, puffin (sometimes lightly smoked) and roast greylag goose where these are available. There are also other traditional dishes used for other celebrations of religion such as weddings, baptisms, and confirmations.
In Iceland, food and religion connect through the celebration of the Christian holidays. Because the national religion is Christianity, the Christian holidays such as Easter and Christmas are observed. The Christmas dinner usually occurs on Christmas Eve. Traditional main courses are hangikjöt (smoked lamb), hamborgarhryggur (salted pork rib) and various types of game, especially ptarmigan stew, puffin (sometimes lightly smoked) and roast greylag goose where these are available. There are also other traditional dishes used for other celebrations of religion such as weddings, baptisms, and confirmations.
Where does the food come from?
Iceland grows and produces their own food. Because there are strict regulations regarding the importation of meat, their meat is locally raised. Iceland provides their consumers with safe and healthy food that can be trusted.
Iceland grows and produces their own food. Because there are strict regulations regarding the importation of meat, their meat is locally raised. Iceland provides their consumers with safe and healthy food that can be trusted.
Biodiversity in Iceland
Biodiversity is the diversity of life in a particular area. This can include animals, plants, and microorganisms. Biodiversity is important because it provides an area with the resources it needs that keep humans alive. Cultural diversity is the differences in a way of life for a particular people or species. Unfortunately, both biodiversity and cultural diversity are declining around the globe. Why is this so detrimental to the present and future? “At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change” (Shah, 2001).
Compared to most other countries around the world, Iceland’s biodiversity is not nearly as rich. There are only 1,300 known species of insects in Iceland, and only one native land mammal, the Arctic Fox. The animals of Iceland include the Icelandic sheep, cattle, chicken, goat, the sturdy Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic Sheepdog.
Compared to most other countries around the world, Iceland’s biodiversity is not nearly as rich. There are only 1,300 known species of insects in Iceland, and only one native land mammal, the Arctic Fox. The animals of Iceland include the Icelandic sheep, cattle, chicken, goat, the sturdy Icelandic horse, and the Icelandic Sheepdog.
Although there isn’t much diversity of life on land, there are many types of fish that live in the seas surrounding Iceland. “The fishing industry is a main contributor to Iceland's economy, accounting for more than half of the country's total exports” (Icelandic Biodiversity). Seabirds such as Puffins, skuas, and kittiwakes that nest in the sea cliffs are also abundant in Iceland.
The most important aspect of biodiversity in Iceland is the marine and aquatic life that resides around the island. “The marine ecosystem is complex and interactive, and Icelanders are well aware that it is crucial not to disrupt the overall balance in the system and to conserve marine biological diversity” (Biological Diversity in Iceland, 2001, p. 39). Nature is a huge part of Icelandic culture, because there’s so much of it to see. Most of the land in Iceland is undeveloped and scenery is beautiful and plentiful. Although there isn’t much wildlife to see, whale watching is a popular activity in Iceland that both native Icelanders and tourists love to partake in. It’s extremely fun to spot the different types of whale species such as humpback and orca whales, to only name a couple, because there are over 30 species of marine mammals around Iceland (Skúlason, 2015, p.11). Dolphins can also be spotted as well as the famous puffin bird. “Despite its relatively limited variety of animal and plant species, Iceland is one of the most important breeding grounds for many bird species in the North Atlantic” (Biological Diversity).
The most important aspect of biodiversity in Iceland is the marine and aquatic life that resides around the island. “The marine ecosystem is complex and interactive, and Icelanders are well aware that it is crucial not to disrupt the overall balance in the system and to conserve marine biological diversity” (Biological Diversity in Iceland, 2001, p. 39). Nature is a huge part of Icelandic culture, because there’s so much of it to see. Most of the land in Iceland is undeveloped and scenery is beautiful and plentiful. Although there isn’t much wildlife to see, whale watching is a popular activity in Iceland that both native Icelanders and tourists love to partake in. It’s extremely fun to spot the different types of whale species such as humpback and orca whales, to only name a couple, because there are over 30 species of marine mammals around Iceland (Skúlason, 2015, p.11). Dolphins can also be spotted as well as the famous puffin bird. “Despite its relatively limited variety of animal and plant species, Iceland is one of the most important breeding grounds for many bird species in the North Atlantic” (Biological Diversity).
References:
Biological diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mfa.is/foreign-policy/environment/biological-diversity/
Biological Diversity in Iceland. (2001). Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/is/is-nr-01-en.pdf
Icelandic Biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://classes.lt.unt.edu/Summer_10W_2012/LTEC_3260_020/skg0066/assignment1/page3.html
Shah, A. (2001). Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares? Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares
Skúlason, S., Malmquist, H., Steingrímsson, S., & Kristjánsson, B. (2015). Biological diversity in Iceland. Conference Ecology Association of Iceland, 23(24), 11-11. Retrieved from http://nmsi.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Biodiversity-in-Iceland-VISTIS-2015-Skúli-o.-fl..pdf
Biological diversity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mfa.is/foreign-policy/environment/biological-diversity/
Biological Diversity in Iceland. (2001). Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/is/is-nr-01-en.pdf
Icelandic Biodiversity. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://classes.lt.unt.edu/Summer_10W_2012/LTEC_3260_020/skg0066/assignment1/page3.html
Shah, A. (2001). Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares? Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares
Skúlason, S., Malmquist, H., Steingrímsson, S., & Kristjánsson, B. (2015). Biological diversity in Iceland. Conference Ecology Association of Iceland, 23(24), 11-11. Retrieved from http://nmsi.is/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Biodiversity-in-Iceland-VISTIS-2015-Skúli-o.-fl..pdf
Religion in Iceland
“The story of how Christianity arrived in Iceland, according to Nordic lore, reads like a scene ripped from ‘Game of Thrones.’” A millennium ago, upon the conversion of Norway to Christianity, the Norwegian king wanted to spread the good news to Iceland. To do this, he dispatched a mighty warrior missionary, Thangbrand. Along the way, Thangbrand slain many heathens. The old lore says that Thangbrand had discovered an Icelandic beast impervious to fire, so to decide whether Iceland would adopt Christianity, Thangbrand said “we shall light three fires. I shall bless the first one, you heathens shall bless the second one, and the third one shall remain without a blessing. If [he] walks through your fire unharmed but is afraid of my fire, you must accept Christianity.” The beast ran straight through the heathen fire but reared before the Christian-blessed fire (McCoy, 2015). Today, this retelling of this legend seems extremely far fetched, and as Terrence McCoy said, straight out of a “Game of Thrones” plot. What actually happened is definitely less exciting and fun to read about, but equally interesting. Basically, the parliament met at a place called Thingvellir, and they were split into 2 groups: Pagans and Christians. The pagan law maker was asked to decide which religion the group should follow, because just too much chaos was being caused by following two different religions. He decided that Icelanders should take up Christianity but could practice paganism in secret (Christianity). Thingvellir is in the southwestern portion of Iceland so it makes sense that religion must have spread north, northeast, as well as east to the other habitable parts of Iceland from there.
Even though most of Iceland does identify as Evangelical Lutheran and are registered members to the National Church, “the people of Iceland were never sold on Jesus… scholar Michael Etrmiska of SUNY Orange [wrote] ‘A strong case can be made that the acceptance of Christianity was motivated more by economic and political considerations than authentic Christian fervor. … Good political and economic relations with Christian Europe depended on at least a semblance of Christian conversion, and so this semblance was achieved’”(McCoy, 2015). It is believed that most of the 76.2% of the Lutheran population do not practice actively. “Iceland is the 9th most atheist country according to an opinion poll conducted by WIN-Gallup International… In responding to the question, Icelanders proved themselves to be 57% religious, 31% ‘not religious,’ and 10% atheist. The remaining 2% didn’t know how to respond. In 2005 74% of Icelanders polled had labeled themselves as ‘religious’, meaning there has been a drop of 17 percentage points in religiosity in the 7-year span between polls (the most recent polling took place in 2012)” (Fulton, 2013.) Although there is a general lack of religiousness in Iceland, I feel as if it doesn’t have a detrimental effect on their society. Icelanders are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and they don't have much of a crime issue, so lack of morality isn’t a problem that many would think because of lack of spirituality. The fact that there is an established national church is definitely not negative, and it isn’t especially important to the cultural or social norms of the society.
Iceland’s sacred sites include the main churches and cathedrals around the nation. There are 4 sites that can be considered sacred religiously. The first is Kópavogskirkja. “Completed in 1963, Kópavogskirkja is a modern church in Kópavogur, the second-largest town in Iceland (30,000).” The second is Domkirkjan. “This small and charming cathedral in Reykjavik has hosted many historic events and is still used for state purposes.” The third—and one I’ve visited personally—is Hallgrimskirkja. “The tallest and most striking church in Iceland, the Lutheran cathedral of Reykjavik was completed in 1983. Its design is inspired by Iceland's glaciers.” The last is Landakotskirkja. “The Catholic cathedral of dominantly Protestant Iceland, Landakotskirkja was completed in 1929 in a Neo-Gothic style” (Sacred Destinations).
The main connection between the Icelandic government and religion is the original deciding of what the National religion would be. In the early stages of the Icelandic parliament, it was extremely important for meetings to be executed orderly. Having differences of religion was affecting the governmental processes they were trying to accomplish negatively. Deciding on one religion to follow was in the best interests of Iceland and Iceland’s government at the time. Today, however, there isn’t much of a connection at all. Church and State are kept pretty separate; religion doesn’t impact much of what the government does and vise versa.
I really enjoyed learning about how religion came to be in Iceland and I thought it was extremely interesting to consider how religion does or does not affect the social and cultural norms of a country. While religion plays a huge role in culture, in places like Iceland, religion definitely isn’t everything—it isn’t even considered to be that important. However, people are still insanely moral: nice, welcoming, and all around good people. Religion really has nothing to do with how moral people are, although it can help. The country of Iceland is the perfect example of how placing emphasis on raising the nation’s children right—even without religion if that’s preferred—can lead to the overall prosperity of a country.
Even though most of Iceland does identify as Evangelical Lutheran and are registered members to the National Church, “the people of Iceland were never sold on Jesus… scholar Michael Etrmiska of SUNY Orange [wrote] ‘A strong case can be made that the acceptance of Christianity was motivated more by economic and political considerations than authentic Christian fervor. … Good political and economic relations with Christian Europe depended on at least a semblance of Christian conversion, and so this semblance was achieved’”(McCoy, 2015). It is believed that most of the 76.2% of the Lutheran population do not practice actively. “Iceland is the 9th most atheist country according to an opinion poll conducted by WIN-Gallup International… In responding to the question, Icelanders proved themselves to be 57% religious, 31% ‘not religious,’ and 10% atheist. The remaining 2% didn’t know how to respond. In 2005 74% of Icelanders polled had labeled themselves as ‘religious’, meaning there has been a drop of 17 percentage points in religiosity in the 7-year span between polls (the most recent polling took place in 2012)” (Fulton, 2013.) Although there is a general lack of religiousness in Iceland, I feel as if it doesn’t have a detrimental effect on their society. Icelanders are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and they don't have much of a crime issue, so lack of morality isn’t a problem that many would think because of lack of spirituality. The fact that there is an established national church is definitely not negative, and it isn’t especially important to the cultural or social norms of the society.
Iceland’s sacred sites include the main churches and cathedrals around the nation. There are 4 sites that can be considered sacred religiously. The first is Kópavogskirkja. “Completed in 1963, Kópavogskirkja is a modern church in Kópavogur, the second-largest town in Iceland (30,000).” The second is Domkirkjan. “This small and charming cathedral in Reykjavik has hosted many historic events and is still used for state purposes.” The third—and one I’ve visited personally—is Hallgrimskirkja. “The tallest and most striking church in Iceland, the Lutheran cathedral of Reykjavik was completed in 1983. Its design is inspired by Iceland's glaciers.” The last is Landakotskirkja. “The Catholic cathedral of dominantly Protestant Iceland, Landakotskirkja was completed in 1929 in a Neo-Gothic style” (Sacred Destinations).
The main connection between the Icelandic government and religion is the original deciding of what the National religion would be. In the early stages of the Icelandic parliament, it was extremely important for meetings to be executed orderly. Having differences of religion was affecting the governmental processes they were trying to accomplish negatively. Deciding on one religion to follow was in the best interests of Iceland and Iceland’s government at the time. Today, however, there isn’t much of a connection at all. Church and State are kept pretty separate; religion doesn’t impact much of what the government does and vise versa.
I really enjoyed learning about how religion came to be in Iceland and I thought it was extremely interesting to consider how religion does or does not affect the social and cultural norms of a country. While religion plays a huge role in culture, in places like Iceland, religion definitely isn’t everything—it isn’t even considered to be that important. However, people are still insanely moral: nice, welcoming, and all around good people. Religion really has nothing to do with how moral people are, although it can help. The country of Iceland is the perfect example of how placing emphasis on raising the nation’s children right—even without religion if that’s preferred—can lead to the overall prosperity of a country.
Resources:
McCoy, T. (2015, February 3). How thousands of Icelanders suddenly started worshiping the Norse gods again. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/03/how-thousands-of-icelanders-started-worshiping-the-norse-gods-again/
Fulton, C. (2013, July 25). Iceland Among Top 10 Most Atheist Countries - The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved from http://grapevine.is/news/2013/07/25/iceland-among-top-10-most-atheist-countries/
Christianity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thingvellir.is/history/christianity.aspx
Sacred Destinations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/iceland
McCoy, T. (2015, February 3). How thousands of Icelanders suddenly started worshiping the Norse gods again. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/03/how-thousands-of-icelanders-started-worshiping-the-norse-gods-again/
Fulton, C. (2013, July 25). Iceland Among Top 10 Most Atheist Countries - The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved from http://grapevine.is/news/2013/07/25/iceland-among-top-10-most-atheist-countries/
Christianity. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thingvellir.is/history/christianity.aspx
Sacred Destinations. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/iceland
Evidence of Change Over Time
Admittedly, it was extremely difficult to find interesting and significant statistical changes in Iceland's history. The population has increased, people have a growing life expectancy, and citizens are making more money, just like other countries. Because it is such a small country, it doesn't have extremely dramatic changes such as China or India or Japan. Something I noticed when looking at Iceland's life expectancy in comparison to the whole world's, was that between the years 1916 (Figure 1) and 1918 (Figure 2), many of the life expectancies for the rest of the nation dropped dramatically. This interested me greatly so I researched it and this was because of the flu epidemic of 1918. It makes sense that Iceland's life expectancy didn't drop during this time because the flu hadn't reached the country. Figure 3 shows the child mortality rate between 1800 and 2013. I noticed that were a few years that the number of children dying jumped dramatically. This interested me a lot as well so I decided to look at the life expectancy for the country during that time. The life expectancy dropped from 32 years of age in 1840 down to 18 years in 1946 (figure 4). That is a lot for only 6 years! After a little research, I believe that 1846 was part of a measles epidemic. This would make sense that so many children died during that year and that it would lower the life expectancy to 18 years old because children weren't living very long at all.
General Demographic Data
Ethnic Groups
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Government Type
constitutional republic
Birth Rate
13.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Death Rate
6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Population
331,918 (July 2015 est.)
Major Urban Areas -- Population
REYKJAVIK (capital) 184,000 (2014)
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Government Type
constitutional republic
Birth Rate
13.91 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Death Rate
6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
Population
331,918 (July 2015 est.)
Major Urban Areas -- Population
REYKJAVIK (capital) 184,000 (2014)
References:
The World Fact Book. (2014, June 22). Retrieved 15 October 2015 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html
The World Fact Book. (2014, June 22). Retrieved 15 October 2015 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.html
The main religion of Iceland is Evangelical Lutheran. 76.2% of the population of the country are practicing members
Resources: Khosla, S. Europe. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/culture-lifestyle/world-religion/140715/map-most-religious-places
Resources: Khosla, S. Europe. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/culture-lifestyle/world-religion/140715/map-most-religious-places
Internet Resources for Icelandic Culture
http://www.visiticeland.com/discovericeland/themes/cultural-iceland
This website is the official tourism information site for Iceland. It provides brief information regarding the settlement of the nation as well as traditions. It provides links to do further research about more specific topics regarding cultural aspects of the people and things to do that relate to those.
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Iceland.html
This website goes into great detail about extremely specific aspects of Iceland's culture. It talks about everything from History and Ethnic Relations to the Political Life to Etiquette to Secular Celebrations.
This website is the official tourism information site for Iceland. It provides brief information regarding the settlement of the nation as well as traditions. It provides links to do further research about more specific topics regarding cultural aspects of the people and things to do that relate to those.
http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Iceland.html
This website goes into great detail about extremely specific aspects of Iceland's culture. It talks about everything from History and Ethnic Relations to the Political Life to Etiquette to Secular Celebrations.
![](http://www.weebly.com/weebly/images/file_icons/rtf.png)
iceland_slideshow_table.docx | |
File Size: | 132 kb |
File Type: | docx |