When I have guests over from abroad, I am often asked about the Icelandic food culture. What is traditional Icelandic food, and what defines Icelandic cooking?

For me, it's hands down the Icelandic lamb. Of course, people eat lamb all over the world, but the Icelandic lamb tastes different somehow. Baked, grilled, or roasted, it's simply the best. But if you want something traditional, you make soup.

We call it Kjötsúpa, direct translation would be "meat soup" and there is no need to specify what kind of meat. When you make Kjötsúpa, you obviously use lamb.

Every family has its own recipe, but the core ingredients are lamb, roughly cut pieces on the bone and preferably plenty of fat, dried herbs, potatoes, carrots, and turnips. Some people also add leek, onion, or other vegetables, and adding grain like rice, oats, or barley is not uncommon.

Kjötsúpa was often served on Sundays or special occasions, even Christmas. Today this hearty soup is more commonly available and is a popular menu item in restaurants and roadside diners. You can even buy Kjötsúpa in the supermarket, ready for the microwave, which can be fine in a pinch but doesn't compare to the homemade version. If you make it at home, the trick is to make a lot of it. It takes some time to make, but it ages well and is best on the second or third day.

Everything about Kjötsúpa makes it the perfect mountain hut food, and that is where it tastes best. After a rewarding day of hiking in the highlands, you get to unwind in the mountain hut and enjoy a steaming, well-deserved bowl of Kjötsúpa with your fellow travelers.

We at Icelandic Mountain Guides have known this for a long time, and Kjötsúpa is on the menu for most of our hiking and trekking tours, such as our Laugavegur Trek and Volcanic Trails, to name a few.