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Iceland has a rich heritage of food and cooking, its traditional recipes often use the abundantly available meat, fish and dairy products that are mainstays of Icelandic food.
Iceland has a large collection of bread and pancake recipes. A famous pancake is the Pönnukökur or the Icelandic crepe which is made of flour and eggs in a special Icelandic pancake pan, and served with whipped cream or meat fillings. Breads include the Laufabrauð or the leaf bread made of wheat flour and milk and served usually with smoked lamb, and Flatbrauð or flat bread made with rye flour and served with lamb pate. The black bread Rúgbrauð is usually served with boiled fish or pickled herring. The traditional Kleinur or Icelandic twisted dough nut is made of flours, Hartshorn salt and sour milk.
Traditional fish and seafood recipes include the Fiskibollur - traditional Icelandic fish balls made of cod or haddock, the Gravlax or pickled salmon served with thin slices of toast and mustard sauce, the Lúðubuff or fried halibut steaks and the Plokkfiskur which is leftover fish cooked in white sauce.
Meat recipes are the most-cooked in Iceland. Favorites are Hangikjöt or smoked lamb, Lambakæfa or Lamb Pate cooked with onions and cloves, the Svið or the sheep's head and the Sunnudags-lambasteik or the Sunday lamb roast which is the mandatory Icelandic meal for Sundays.
Vegetables are mainly served as side-dishes or accompaniments, pickled red cabbage, pickled red beetroot and Rhubarb sauce being favorites.
Among dairy products the most famous is "skyr" - a curd-like cheese made from skim milk which tastes like thick yogurt.
Iceland has a large number of cakes and deserts, with recipes like the Vínarterta, a special occasion cake with a filling of prunes, the Ástarbolluror the raisin donut balls, the Icelandic fruit cake made mainly in Christmas, and the Vatnsdeigsbollur - Carnival buns that are made on the Monday of Lent which is called the Bolludagur, or Bun Day.
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