The Best things to buy locally in Iceland

Coming to a new country is always a great experience. If you are a team "buy and eat local" when traveling, we will make you sure that Iceland is the right destination for you! 

Iceland might be known as the "land of ice", but surprisingly, we grow and produce a lot of our own food. For centuries Icelanders focused on the best quality and innovations to provide their ability in domestic products. Of course, it is well known for centuries that Iceland is doing the best job in fishing and farming. Both are essential for the country and people living in Iceland. Did you know that thanks to centuries of eating only what the oceans and lands give to Iceland, there were no struggles with health diseases connected to food? It is proved that after Iceland opened borders for import from the world for such extensive types of products, the overall health line is going slowly down. But, of course, Iceland is not the only country in the world :-)

Besides all fishing and farming production, Iceland grows many types of fruits and vegetables. Many people wouldn't say that only thanks to challenging weather and difficult landscape terrain, Iceland has pretty good conditions for it. The essential elements are never-ending sources of clean water and geothermal energy. Yes, Iceland is understandably not growing everything outside, but with the help of these elements, fruits and vegetables have the best conditions to grow inside greenhouses all over Iceland.

So what can you buy local when you enter the store? You won't be disappointed because the offer is extensive! And so from the spread selection of meat, fish, eggs, baked goods, or drinks, you can go local also with vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, bell peppers, champions, cabbage, rhubarb, potatoes, cauliflower, leeks, kale, rutabaga or wide offer of salads. 

When it comes to fruits, definitely reach for Icelandic tomatoes (btw, did you know a tomato is a fruit? :-)), juicy apples, and seasonal fruits such as strawberries, bilberries, redcurrants, crowberries, and brambleberries.

Surprised? Yeah, one might be. But we can sure you that each of the products mentioned above tastes delicious. Even though almost everything seems expensive in Iceland, it is definitely worth buying Icelandic strawberries instead of strawberries from abroad (just saying :-)).

Our tip: the cheapest Icelandic supermarkets and stores are Bónus, then it is Krónan and Nettó. A little bit more pricy store is supermarket Hagkaup, then stores Iceland, Krambúð, and Noatún. In the center of Reykjavik, you will find Bónus, Krónan, Super 1000, and 10-11, where 10-11 is the most pricy one. 

Let us know if you went local when in Iceland, and what got you the most!