On the weekend of December 13 & 14, we Icelandic Lamb had the great pleasure of taking part in Matarmarkaður – The Artisan Food Fayre. Which was held in the beautiful surroundings of Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavík.
Matarmarkaður is Iceland’s largest market for farmers, growers, and small-scale producers, and a true celebration of Icelandic food culture and craftsmanship. The market is organized twice a year, once in spring and once in winter, just before Christmas. It has become a beloved event for both locals and visitors.
This wonderful event was organized by Eirný Sigurðardóttir and Hlédís Sveinsdóttir. We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank them both for an exceptionally well organized and inspiring weekend.
Meet the people behind the products
Throughout the weekend, thousands of visitors streamed into Harpa to find unique Christmas gifts for themselves and their loved ones. One of the special qualities of Matarmarkaður is the opportunity it gives visitors to meet the people behind the products, hear their stories, and learn about how the food is made. Many of the products are handmade, and all are created with care, passion, and love for Icelandic ingredients.
For us at Icelandic Lamb, the weekend was a fantastic opportunity to meet many new people. We enjoyed talking to both Icelanders and tourists about our work, Icelandic sheep farming, and what makes Icelandic lamb so special.
Icelandic Lamb – Showcooking
This year, we had planned something extra special for our stand. Visitors to the food market had the chance to meet professional chefs and talented young cooks in person, watch them cook, and talk to them about their dishes and techniques.
Among them was Stefán Sölvi Péturson, finalist in the World’s Strongest Man competition, who prepared an Indian-style curry with Icelandic lamb.
Young chef Jakob Leó Ægisson delighted guests with a lamb snitzel with creamed cabbage and rhubarb jam in brown butter.
Guðrún Helga Hafliðadóttir cooked a comforting lamb steak with mushroom sauce and broccoli,
while her brother Halldór Hafliðason impressed visitors with a hangikjöt tartare served in a salad taco, as well as a hangikjöt carpaccio.
Our friend Dora Svavarsdóttir from Slow Food Iceland, with whom we shared our stand at Matarmarkaður, cooked for the guests Fried cod with barley and spinach cabbage served with paprika sauce, as an appetizeridea for Christmas.
Where to find our recipes:
All recipes prepared during the weekend can be found on our websites:
https://islensktlambakjot.is/uppskriftir/
https://www.icelandiclamb.is/recipes/
You can also find the recipes and more inspiration on our social media channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icelandiclamb/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icelandiclamb/
Matarmarkaður once again reminded us how important community, craftsmanship, and shared food experiences are, especially in the festive season before Christmas. We are grateful to everyone who visited our stand, shared a conversation with us, and celebrated Icelandic lamb together with us.