Hardfiskur

Hardfiskur is fish, usually cod, haddock or wolffish, split, hung on open racks in the wind and dried until it is stiff, then torn into fibrous strips. It kept a country without salt or timber fed through winters for a thousand years, and it never went away. Icelanders eat it as a snack with a thick smear of butter, which softens the texture and cuts the dryness. It is close to pure protein, sold in vacuum packs at every till in the country, and the price per kilo is startling until you work out how much wet fish goes into a small bag.

What you actually see

• The drying racks - open wooden frames of fish hung in the coastal wind.
• The texture - stiff sheets torn along the grain into fibres.
• Butter - the standard partner, spread thickly on each strip.
• The varieties - cod, haddock and wolffish, each with a different chew.

When to go

Year-round; it keeps on the shelf and is always available. Drying racks are most visible along the coasts and in the Westfjords in the colder months. Buy a small pack first, because it divides people sharply and a large bag is a real commitment. Supermarket packs cost far less than airport and souvenir-shop versions.

Honest expectations

The smell when a pack is opened fills a car and does not leave it. The price per kilo is high, though a portion is small. The texture is dry and stringy and the taste is strongly of fish, so it is not a gentle introduction. Some cheaper packs are tougher and drier than they ought to be.

Nearby

It sits alongside skyr and rye bread in everyday Icelandic food, and Reykjavik's weekend market sells it loose.