Visitors to Iceland at the moment will find that many restaurants currently offer a separate Thorrablót (Þorrablót) menu, which usually includes an English translation of the various dishes.

But if you’d like to buy Thorramatur food at the grocery store, and the only Icelandic word you know is Björk, you may need some help working out whether you’re buying ram’s testicles or sour whale…

This is SVIÐ, the most infamous of Thorramatur. It’s SINGED HEAD OF LAMB. Plastic wrapped and ready to eat. You can also order this with a side of fries at the take-away place adjoining Reykjavík’s BSÍ bus terminal (the one you arrive at if you take the airport bus.)

Áll means eel in Icelandic, but don’t make my mistake of assuming that MAGÁLL is therefore some type of smoked eel. No, it’s SMOKED SIDE OF LAMB.

HRÚTSPUNGAR are LAMBS’ BALLS soured in whey.

Icelanders eat herring all times of year, but this THORRASÍLD is a special kind of MARINATED HERRING specific to Thorrablót.

SÚR HVALUR is SOUR WHALE. Langreyður is the Rorqual (or Razorback) whale, Hrefna is the Minke Whale.

You can buy all kinds of Thorramatur in the deli section of stores, where staff can explain what’s what. The tagged item here is SÚRIR LUNDABAGGAR, a type of PRESSED SOUR LAMB SAUSAGE. Behind this is the dark BLÓÐMÖR, or BLOOD PUDDING and top right is LYFRARPYLSA, a type of LIVER SAUSAGE.

A THORRABAKKI is a ready-made platter in case you feel like sampling everything.

…Or if you’re very brave, you can try this whole bucket of BLANDADUR SÚRMATUR – mixed sour Thorramatur delights!

This glossary explains some of the most common dishes you’re likely to find at a Thorrablót feast. It’s also common to find foods such as HARDFISKUR – DRIED FISH and HÁKARL – PUTREFIED SHARK at Thorrablót feasts, but I’ve left them out here because they are also eaten all year round. Mashed swede and rye breads are also part of every Thorrablót platter.

See my last blog for a little more on the Thorrablót tradition in Iceland.