Monday, March 27, 2017
Foreigners are usually amazed when they find out that Icelanders eat ice cream all the time, even when it’s freezing outside.
I’ve read so many posts from tourists where they describe their astonishment that Icelanders don’t care if it’s a dark and cold winter’s day or a relatively hot summer evening. We eat ice cream whenever we feel like it!
In almost every town you can find a kiosk that serves soft ice cream in a cone, with some dipping sauce and topping. That’s the old school way of eating ice cream in Iceland. I recommend you dip it in chocolate sauce with sprinkles of Daim, the Icelandic candy Nóa Kropp or licorice bits. That’s my go to toppings when I’m in a retro mood.
If you want to sample some more advanced ice cream dainties, I have a few suggestions that might help you on the frosty path to dessert euphoria. Here are three of my favorite ice cream parlors that offer something different to the old fashioned soft serve, in no particular order. But don’t worry – you can always opt for the traditional creamy goodness if you like.
Ísbúð Huppu
Oh my God, you guys! This ice cream parlors is not of this earth! I suggest you visit it with lots of space in your tummy so you can gobble up tons of ice cream with all their different flavors and candy. Try the Kinder Egg dipping sauce and their special ice cream dish with caramel and Hockey Pulver. Or go for the Oreo, cookie dough and white chocolate dish or the peanut butter and chocolate shake. It’s all amazing!
You can find Ísbúð Huppu (Huppa is a popular Icelandic name for cows by the way) on three different locations; on Eyrarvegur in Selfoss, at Álfheimar in Reykjavík and in Spöngin shopping center in Grafarvogur.
Valdís
Ice cream parlor Valdís specializes in quality, Italian gelato with various, desirable flavors. I have a hard time deciding which flavors to pick every time I go to Valdís because they change up the flavors from day to day, with each and every one being more beguiling than the next. My ultimate favorite one is the Tyrkish Peber gelato. That’s a party in my mouth, to say the least! If you want something a bit milder on the taste buds, I recommend the white chocolate one. An added surprise is hidden in the waffle cone the ice cream is served in. Of course I’m not going to ruin that for you!
Valdís (a woman’s name in Iceland) is situated in one of Reykjavík’s best culinary spots: Grandagarður.
YoYo Ís
This parlor is different from the other two, offering yogurt based delights where customers serve themselves. There’s a danger to that because it’s hard to stop stuffing your box with glorious ice cream flavors and appetizing toppings. YoYo Ís also offers ice cream which is sugar free and another one that’s lactose free, so everyone should find something to their liking. Like Valdís, YoYo ís changes the flavors on offer quite frequently so it’s hard to recommend something specific but trust me: all the flavors I’ve tried in my numerous trips to YoYo Ís have been wonderful, surprising and satisfying.
YoYo Ís is on two locations, Egilsgata in down town Reykjavík and Nýbýlavegur in Kópavogur.
