In the far northwest tip of Iceland, January 25th marks the first day that the sun's rays can be seen again after a long hiatus from November. Many towns are nestled amongst the commanding mountains of the Westfjords, so for 3 long months the residents only receive ambient light with no direct sunlight.⁠ ⁠ And so, as way to celebrate the return of light on Sólardagur or "The Day of the Sun", many residents of Iceland meet with family and friends for sólarkaffi or sun coffee. Coffee is brewed and enjoyed along side Icelandic pancakes or pönnukökur which resemble the golden disc of the sun ..read more

ICELANDIC GUACAMOLE: 3 ripe avocados Half of a white onion, small diced 1 bunch cilantro 1 Tbsp fresh cracked black pepper 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 to 3 generous pinches of Birch Smoked Salt Slice the avocados in half, removing the pit and scooping the meat into a bowl. Mash to your preferred consistency using a potato masher or fork. Finely chop the onions and add to the bowl.  Then, chop the coriander (including the stems) and add to the mix.  Crack the black pepper into the bowl as well, and then add the apple cider vinegar.  We use vinegar for two reasons.  One ..read more

This recipe is from the talented Keli Ingi, barkeep of Skál in Reykjavik, Iceland. MARGARITA: 1 oz caramelized honey syrup ¾ oz lime juice 2 oz Reposado tequila (100% agave preferred) 3 dashes of Birch Smoked Salt saline solution Saltverk Birch Smoked Salt SALINE SOLUTION: 3 1/2 tsp. Saltverk Lava Salt 1/3 cup water Make a 20% saline solution by dissolving the salt in the water, stirring until dissolved.  Put the solution in a dropper bottle for ease of use. For the caramelized honey syrup, add 500 g of honey into a pot and bring to a boil.  Once it ..read more

This recipe is from Jason Veal, the Head Distiller for Ólafsson Gin in Reykjavik, Iceland. MARGARITA: 35 ml hibiscus syrup 30 ml fresh lime juice 100 ml Ólafsson Gin Saltverk Birch Smoked Salt HIBISCUS SYRUP: 100 ml water 100 g sugar 10 g dried hibiscus flowers For the hibiscus syrup, mix the sugar and water together in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved, then remove the pot from the heat and add the hibiscus.  Allow this mixture to steep until completely chilled down (appx. 30 min). Once cooled, strain the m ..read more

This recipe is from the talented Keli Ingi, barkeep of Skál in Reykjavik, Iceland. MARGARITA: 1 oz Grilled Pineapple Syrup ½ oz Lemon juice ¾ oz Grapefruit juice 1 oz tequila (100% agave preferred) ½ oz mezcal  Saltverk Seaweed Salt GRILLED PINEAPPLE SYRUP: 1 pineapple 150 g sugar 75 ml warm water To prepare the grilled pineapple syrup remove the outside of the pineapple and discard.  Cut the pineapple into quarters and remove the core from each piece.  Grill the pineapple pieces over medium-high heat until it has good caramelization (appx ..read more

This recipe is from the talented Gísli Matt, chef and owner of acclaimed Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), Iceland. It is featured in his new cookbook Slippurinn - Recipes and Stories from Iceland, which can be purchased through Gísli Matt directly, or through Phaidon. FERMENTED RADISHES: Radishes Saltverk Flaky Sea Salt Add 3% of the total weight of the radishes with sea salt and vacuum seal in a vacuum bag or in a sterilized jar. Keep at room temperature for a week, open the bag or the jar and let air out. Seal again and store in a coole ..read more

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This recipe is from the talented Gísli Matt, chef and owner of acclaimed Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), Iceland. It is featured in his new cookbook Slippurinn - Recipes and Stories from Iceland, which can be purchased through Gísli Matt directly, or through Phaidon. Kleina (pl. kleinur) are twisted doughnuts found throughout the Nordic region that are usually eaten at Christmastime, though in Iceland they are eaten year-round. They first appeared in Icelandic cookbooks in the 18th century and they were originally fried in lamb fat. W ..read more

This recipe is from the talented Gísli Matt, chef and owner of acclaimed Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), Iceland. It is featured in his new cookbook Slippurinn - Recipes and Stories from Iceland, which can be purchased through Gísli Matt directly, or through Phaidon. BARLEY-OTTO, THE CHEESE RISOTTO OF THE NORTH: 400 ml water 100 g whole oats Vegetable, or other neutral oil for frying 300 g pearl barley 100 g sunflower seeds 3 large shallots, chopped 5 garlic cloves, chopped 180 ml sour whey (or white wine) 120 ml cream 60 g butter 1 ..read more

This recipe is from the talented Gísli Matt, chef and owner of acclaimed Slippurinn in Vestmannaeyjar (the Westman Islands), Iceland. It is featured in his new cookbook Slippurinn - Recipes and Stories from Iceland, which can be purchased through Gísli Matt directly, or through Phaidon.  As Iceland has traditionally lacked wood to fire an oven, bread is often steamed in casks buried under the ground near hot springs. Baking bread is still made this way and it’s called hverabrauð. Gísli does not have access to hot springs on Vestmannaeyjar, so he ins ..read more