northern-europe
Explore 37 foods connected to Faroe Islands, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
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The local shortlist
7 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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The full directory
37 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Faroe Islands
Brúnkað Epli
Caramelized potatoes (brúnkað epli); pre-boiled, peeled potatoes gently stirred in melted sugar with margarine; a Danish holiday dish introduced into Faroese cuisine in the 1960s; served with domestic duck or goose at Christmas; a festive Faroese side dish.
Faroe Islands
Aftanfiskur
The time-honoured dish for Christmas Eve; air-dried fermented cod (ræstur fiskur) served with sperðil (sheep tallow sausage); an ancient and very simple food habit; rarely observed today, only by older generations in the north; a traditional Faroese holiday dish.
Faroe Islands
Brennivín
Faroese aquavit (brennivín); a traditional Scandinavian spirit; consumed during festive occasions; a companion to the kalt borð; a warming drink in the cold climate; a feature of Faroese social gatherings; a part of the Nordic drinking culture.
Faroe Islands
Blóðmørur
Sheep blood, flour and mutton-tallow sausage, a traditional hjallur/autumn product.
Faroe Islands
Jólardunna
Domestic duck (or sometimes locally farmed goose) served with boiled and caramelized potatoes (brúnkað epli); a Danish holiday dish introduced into Faroese cuisine in the 1960s; the modern Christmas Eve dinner; a festive Faroese tradition; a feature of the holiday table.
Faroe Islands
Knettir
Large, boiled fish balls; previously always containing tallow; served with potatoes and possibly vegetables; a traditional Faroese dish; the fish soup knetta is cooked on knettir and vegetables; a hearty, comforting meal.
Faroe Islands
Fiskibollur
Faroese fish cakes; a traditional dish made from fresh fish; served with potatoes and possibly vegetables; a staple of the Faroese diet; a hearty, comforting meal; a feature of everyday Faroese cooking.
Faroe Islands
Fiskasuppa
A fish soup with potatoes, carrots, and cream or milk; a traditional Faroese dish; a creamy, hearty soup; a feature of the Faroese diet; made with fresh cod, haddock, or saithe; a comforting meal.
Faroe Islands
Drýlur
A traditional Faroese baked bread; made from a simple rye- and wheat-based dough; lightly pan-fried and then baked in the oven; results in a dense, rustic loaf; a traditional accompaniment to Faroese meals; a staple of the Faroese diet.
Faroe Islands
Góðarað
A savoury Faroese cookie; made with fermented lamb tallow and fish; a unique traditional Faroese snack; a feature of the KOKS tasting menu
Faroe Islands
Mørur
Preserved sheep intestines and organs used in the autumn nose-to-tail diet.
Faroe Islands
Ræstur Fiskur
Air-dried and fermented fish, typically Atlantic cod or saithe; fermented for two to three months in a hjallur; boiled and served with boiled potatoes, salted pilot whale blubber, or garnatálg (melted fermented sheep fat); the time-honoured Christmas Eve dish known as aftanfiskur; a TasteAtlas-listed must-try.
Faroe Islands
Ræst Kjøt
Semi-fermented lamb; a few weeks after the autumn slaughter, the lamb is slightly air-dried and fermented; boiled or fried before serving; softer in flavour than skerpikjøt but equally distinctive; a classic Sunday dinner across Faroese households; served with boiled potatoes.
Faroe Islands
Riv
Fermented oven-roasted lamb ribs; a favourite seasonal dish; a traditional Faroese preparation; made from ræst lamb; a feature of the autumn and winter diet; a deeply savoury, umami-rich dish.
Faroe Islands
Garnatálg
A dip of melted fermented intestinal fat from sheep; a traditional Faroese condiment; served with ræstur fiskur and other traditional dishes; a vital source of fat in the historical Faroese diet; a TasteAtlas-listed must-try; an essential element of Faroese food culture.
Norway
Norwegian fish cakes of minced white fish (cod or haddock) with milk, flour, and spices, pan-fried. A coastal and national classic, soft and savory, served with potatoes and dill sauce, a daily and home staple, a comfort fish dish.
Norway
A Norwegian creamy fish soup with cod, salmon, shrimp, and vegetables in a rich cream broth. A coastal and national classic, hearty and comforting, a winter and restaurant staple, a daily and home dish, a soup.
Denmark
Flødeboller
A Danish chocolate-covered marshmallow treat on a wafer base, a national and bakery classic
Denmark
Danish meatballs of ground pork and veal with onion, eggs, and flour, pan-fried and served with potatoes, gravy, and pickled red cabbage
Iceland
Iceland's smoked lamb over birch or sheep dung, a Christmas and daily classic.
Westfjords, Iceland
Iceland's wind-dried cod or haddock, eaten with butter, a daily and ancient snack.
Westfjords, Iceland
Kæstur hákarl
Iceland's fermented Greenland shark, cured underground for months, a Þorrablót and cultural icon.
Norway
Lutfisk
A Norwegian dish of dried cod rehydrated in lye, then boiled or baked, gelatinous and pungent. A Christmas and winter tradition, served with potatoes, bacon, and mustard, a national and festive classic, an acquired taste.
Iceland
Iceland's defining comfort food: cod or haddock mashed with potatoes in béchamel, served with rye bread.
Faroe Islands
Íslenskar pönnukökur
Iceland's thin pancakes with sugar and jam, a daily and festive classic
Eastern Norway, Norway
A Norwegian dish of fermented trout or char, salted and cured for months, eaten raw with a strong, pungent flavor. Served on flatbrød with red onion, sour cream, and mustard, a national and autumn specialty, an acquired taste.
Denmark
Rugbrød
Denmark's dense, dark sourdough rye bread, the base for smørrebrød and a daily staple.
Denmark
Rødkål
A Norwegian sweet-sour red cabbage, served with ribbe and Christmas dinners, a festive and daily staple. A national and Christmas classic, a tangy and sweet side, a traditional and colorful cabbage, a side dish.
Faroe Islands
Suppa
A soup made from boiled fermented lamb with vegetables, often beets; a seasonal dish made from ræst kjøt; a traditional Faroese winter soup; a feature of the autumn and winter diet; a deeply savoury, umami-rich dish.
Faroe Islands
Saltfisk
Salted fish; a traditional Faroese preservation method; cod or haddock salted and dried; a staple of the Faroese diet; rehydrated and boiled before serving; a feature of the kalt borð; a traditional method to ensure food longevity.
Faroe Islands
Sperðil
A very simple sausage made of sheep tallow and salt; stuffed in a casing of intestines; traditionally served with ræstur fiskur on Christmas Eve as part of the aftanfiskur tradition; an ancient and simple food habit; a traditional Faroese specialty.
Iceland
Iceland's 1,100-year-old cultured dairy, thick and high-protein, eaten daily.
Denmark
Open-Faced Sandwich
Danish open-faced sandwiches on dense rye bread with carefully arranged savory toppings.
Faroe Islands
Tálgalivur
Sheep liver stuffed with mutton tallow, onions and peppers; another traditional hjallur offal dish.
Denmark
Wienerbrød
Denmark's iconic laminated, buttery, flaky pastry, the national and daily staple.
Faroe Islands
Turrur Fiskur
Wind-dried fish; eaten plain or with butter; a traditional Faroese preservation method; dried in the hjallur with the North Atlantic breeze; a high-protein, storable food; a staple of the historical Faroese diet. Pairs of wind-dried fish are called greipur while still maturing in the hjallur.