In Icelandic, the potato is called "kartafla" (plural: "kartöflur") or "jarðepli" (= potato).
The potato is a nightshade plant that originally comes from South America. There have been potatoes there for over 10,000 years. Since the 16th century, the potato has been spread from South America via the Canary Islands to Europe by Spanish conquerors.
Since when have there been potatoes in Iceland?
It is said that the district magistrate Gisli Magnússon ("Visi-Gisi") tried to have potatoes exported to Iceland as seeds through his son as early as 1670 - as far as is known, but without success.
The first potatoes in Iceland were probably harvested in Bessastaðir in 1758: Friðrik V, who reigned as Danish king from 1746 to 1766, sent Friedrich Wilhelm Hastfer (1722 - 1768) to Iceland in 1756. Hastfer was a Swedish baron of German descent, he had already made a name for himself in the field of sheep breeding and was therefore sent to Iceland by the Danish king to set up a sheep farm in Elliðaárdalur (presumably with Merino sheep imported from England). On Bessastaðir, today's official residence of the Icelandic president and the seat of the royal procurator in Iceland from the 13th to the 18th century, Hastfer had potatoes grown for the first time in Iceland; the first harvest took place in 1758. Unfortunately, nothing further is known about this potato cultivation.
Apparently potato cultivation and the import of seed potatoes was an important issue in Iceland at that time:
Björn Halldórsson (1724 - 1794), who as a priest ran the rectory in the Sauðlauksdalur valley south of Patreksfjörður in the Icelandic Westfjords, is said to have had seeds delivered by ship in 1759 and was able to harvest potatoes for the first time in 1760. The potatoes that Björn Halldórsson grew were probably an old Swedish potato variety, now known as "rauðar íslenskar", or "red Icelandic". However, this variety is relatively susceptible to rot.
Also in 1760, Guðlaugur Þorgeirsson began growing potatoes on the Álftanes peninsula, around the same time as Jón Bjarnason on Skarðströnd on the Hvammsfjörður and David Hansson on Barðaströnd in the southern Westfjords.
In fact, it took around a century for the potato to slowly become established in Iceland.
The potato is an integral part of Icelandic cuisine
Over the last 150 years, the potato has found its place in Icelandic cuisine.
The caramelized potatoes ("brúnaðar kartöflur") are now the typical side dish for Icelandic meat dishes and potatoes in roux or white sauce ("kartöflur í jafningi" and "kartöfluupsstúfur" are also a very popular side dish. Potato salad ("kartöflusalat") is also warm and cold are quite common. Icelandic mashed potatoes ("kartöflumús") have the special feature that they are seasoned with a little sugar.
Potatoes also belong in classic fish dishes such as pounded fish ("plokkfiskur") or cod balls ("þorskrúllur með hvítri sósu"), as well as in the almost ubiquitous Icelandic meat soup ("kjótsúpa").
As part of my blog event this week I would like to introduce you to three new, typically Icelandic potato dishes:
Have fun!
[Translated from here.]
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