Icelandic Culture on Full Display During Taste of Iceland
This year’s Taste of Iceland served a bevy of Icelandic culture.
It all started with a gallery opening at RailSpur showcasing a collaboration between Icelandic and Seattle-based design studios, and ended three days later with drinks, comedy (a very funny Ari Eldjárn) and a concert (a soulful set from singer-songwriter Bríet and rapper Birnir).
In between there were Taste of Iceland events across the city morning, noon, and night, getting you primed for your next (or first) trip to Iceland. They even made it easy for you with the Icelandair Wheel of Prizes. Give the wheel a spin (if your number was called), and you might be packing your bags and heading for the Blue Lagoon, as a pair of airfare tickets to Iceland were up for grabs. We never got a shot at the wheel, but we saw a handful of lucky attendees walk away with a very real Icelandic trip in their future.
Cocktails and Crime Fiction
Taste of Iceland would not be complete without a taste of some Nordic cuisine. Chefs Haflidi Halldorsson, Ísak Aron Jóhannsson, and the team at Hot Stove Society laid out some beautiful (and delicious) Icelandic cod and lamb during the Demo & Dine session. Drinks were also flowing at a cocktail class at Life on Mars featuring Reyka Vodka, as DJ Hermigervill (that cat was everywhere!) spun some Icelandic tunes.
And if you are a fan of Icelandic literature, you’re no doubt a fan of crime fiction. Taste of Iceland brought two of the best writers in that genre, Ragnar Jónasson and Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, to give you a glimpse into their chilling thought process.
That’s just a “taste” of some of the events that were lined up over a very busy three-day run. If you missed out, make sure to hit up the festivities next year. Or better yet, book a flight for Iceland today.
Photos by Jenise Silva