What is Icelandic Skyr and Why Should You Be Eating It?

Skyr is the national food of Iceland, but what is it?

In my opinion, Iceland not only has some of the greatest landscapes, but they also have some of the best food in the world! Skyr is one of them!

I am a huge fan of Icelandic food. I am obsessed with their hotdogs – in fact, for my 32 birthday, I went to Iceland, and for breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack, we stopped for hot dogs.

On my 32 birthday November 19, 2018, here’s me outside of a gas station about to devour an Icelandic hotdog. Icelandic hotdogs are served on a warm steamed bun and topped with raw white onions, crispy fried onions, sweet brown mustard “Pylsusinnep,” and delicious remoulade made with mayo, capers, mustard, and herbs. They sell it at the Keflavik Airport, and we always bring some home with us. Yes, it is that good. 

I also love Icelandic Lamb Stew, Floki Brennivin, and Skyr!

PSA: If you can visit Iceland, please, do the Eimverk Distillery Tour! It is completely worth it to make time to do this tour/tasting! It is delicious and informational, and hilarious. Eimverk Distillery is Icelands’ first and only whisky distillery. You have to buy tickets in advance, and I recommend getting a taxi, not driving back to your hotel afterward. We’ve been to Iceland 4 times and done this tour twice! We will certainly go again when we go back for our 5th trip! When we visit, we always stock up on Brennivin at the Airport before heading back home!

Back to the purpose of this post… what is Skyr… and why should you try it…

Skyr is sometimes called Icelandic yogurt, but it is not, in fact, yogurt at all.

Skyr: noun| \’skir\: an Icelandic dairy product made by fermenting milk, better known as strained yogurt. It is pronounced “skeer.”

Technically, Skyr is a kind of cheese and is closer to cottage cheese than yogurt. However, if you find it in the US, you will find it in the yogurt aisle.

Skyr looks like yogurt, has the same texture as yogurt, and has a similar nutritional profile to Greek yogurt. It is nonfat and high protein.

Thrillest agrees that Skyr is amazing – they recently did an article rating every Siggi’s Flavor. 

The taste of Skyr is creamier and less sour than plain Greek Yogurt. Skyr is made by fermenting milk using unique cultures, which have been passed down for at least a thousand years. Skyr is made using culture taken from a previous batch. It uses a lot more milk than yogurt and is made from skim milk and then strained from thickened whey.

Traditionally, Skyr is served with cream and brown sugar. However, it is sometimes flavored with berries, often blueberries or bilberries, for the American market. Skyr can be found at Target and on Amazon Fresh. If you are feeling particularly ambitious, you could even make your own.

My favorite brand is Icelandic Provisions. 

You can read all about them, but here is a little blurb straight from their website:

Using the same recipes and cultures that have endured through the centuries, nourishing Icelanders since the days of the Vikings, Icelandic Provisions brings traditional Icelandic Skyr to the United States. It’s high in protein, low in sugar, and it’s rich, creamy, and delicious.

If you really want to have some fun in the kitchen, use Skyr to make cheesecake or creme brulee. Skyr cheesecake is healthier and a little less sweet than normal cheesecake and is great if you feel like dessert for breakfast.

Did I convince you? Are you going to try Skyr? Or are you already a fan? Lemme know in the comments below!