Langoustine of Hofn

The Icelandic langoustine, humar, is a smaller and slower-growing relative of the Norway lobster found in warmer waters, and the fishery centred on Hornafjordur made Hofn the town it is - the local usage is simply lobster, and it is served tail-only, most often grilled in garlic butter or as a soup thickened with cream. Stocks fell sharply through the 2010s and the fishery has been cut back hard, with the season suspended in some years, so the dish is no longer the cheap abundance it was within living memory. Restaurants that serve imported langoustine are supposed to say so, and asking is reasonable.

What you actually see

• Tails, not whole animals - the way it is served here.
• Grilled in garlic butter or as soup - the two standard preparations.
• A fishery cut back hard - stocks fell and quotas followed.
• Imported product on some menus - worth asking about.

When to go

Year round on menus; the town's festival is in early summer. A meal.

Honest expectations

Prices are high and have risen as catches fell. Availability is not guaranteed and some places serve imported. Portions are small by the standards of lobster elsewhere - these are not large animals.

Nearby

Hofn's harbour is the source; Jokulsarlon is west along route 1.