{"id":31090,"date":"2019-06-26T07:45:35","date_gmt":"2019-06-26T11:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=31090"},"modified":"2022-05-11T06:16:39","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T10:16:39","slug":"wheys-less-traveled-icelandic-skyr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/wheys-less-traveled-icelandic-skyr\/","title":{"rendered":"A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Icelandic Skyr"},"content":{"rendered":"

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W<\/span>ith its coal-black volcanic rock beaches, bright blue glaciers, steaming hot springs, and thundering waterfalls, Iceland is stunning. Most of its 325,000 inhabitants call Reykjavik\u2014the inherently cool capital bursting with Scandi-style bistros, minimalist coffee shops, and gritty bars\u2014home.<\/p>\n

But while the chilly island nation has natural beauty and modern comforts in spades, its food scene can be polarizing. Many foreigners reel at the thought of traditional Viking grub: ammonia-scented h\u00e1karl<\/em> (rotted or fermented Greenland shark, which brings about its own ethical food dilemmas), whey-fermented ram\u2019s testicles, whale blubber, and slippery headcheese. These foods have their roots in survival and divide locals and visitors into two camps: love it or hate it.<\/p>\n

One Nordic food that is universally adored, however, is skyr. This cultured dairy product is made from skim milk and resembles lush, ultrathick Greek yogurt<\/a>. To learn more about making skyr, I visited Efstidalur<\/a>, a working farm near Reykjavik that produces some of the best. The chef there, S\u00f6lvi Arnarsson, shared the popular origin story: As a proverbial ninth century Norseman sat astride a galloping horse, the milk in his calf-stomach saddlebag sloshed around with bacteria and rennet, causing it to separate into curds and whey. Skyr was born.<\/p>\n

Skyr is virtually fat-free and full of protein\u2014a veritable superfood that Icelanders eat around the clock. At breakfast, they whip skyr with brown sugar and crowberries, and then blend it into cakes, tarts, and shakes for afternoon snacks. It\u2019s so ubiquitous in the country that \u201cnot my cup of skyr\u201d is used in place of the common idiom \u201cnot my cup of tea,\u201d says Icelandic food and dairy technologist Thorarinn Egill Sveinsson.<\/p>\n

Although Sveinsson insists that you have to travel to Iceland for the real thing\u2014 the local soil, weather, and milk plus the actual process create a superior product, he says\u2014Siggi\u2019s and other commercially produced skyrs are now available worldwide. And with a little patience and the following tips from Sveinsson, it\u2019s easy to craft your own version.<\/p>\n

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Icelandic Skyr<\/h2>\n
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Serve this tasty treat with berries and granola for a protein-rich breakfast bowl.<\/div>\n
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Ingredients
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