how to drink water in iceland
hot dog optional
“you should never pay for water in iceland” our tour guide proudly exclaimed as he took a swig from his freshly filled thermos. i made a mental note to hold onto my soon to be empty pet bottle from the plane for future repurposing. he had a point, the water in iceland was delicious. it easily knocks evian, voss, and smartwater out of the park with a simple twist from the tap. it’s so good that even my father, who drinks sparkling water like a fish, forwent his pelligrino for a glass of still.
it was the first time in a long time that i had something so delicious, in such an abundant supply, and completely for free.
in addition to being the nation of fire and ice, water is arguably the unsung hero of iceland. it’s ripple effects go far beyond the blue lagoon: aquifers provide water for drinking, geothermal water heats homes, and glacial rivers along with geothermal steam are used for electricity production.
it should come to no surprise that the government strictly monitors the quality and the accessibility of water, and let me tell you, they are doing a fantastic job. with the exception of glaciers and perhaps the bathing water in the blue lagoon, the majority of water in iceland is safe for consumption. bottled at the source gets a whole new meaning in iceland.
why does the water taste so good? one word, seven letters: bedrock.
bedrock refers to the solid rock that is beneath surface materials like soil and gravel. iceland’s bedrock is unlike the others due to it’s basaltic (volcanic) composition, whose porous nature naturally filters the water, making the quality of water from the tap and the stream equally delicious. volcanic rock also make for low concentrations of minerals like calcium and magnesium, making the water much quite soft.
soft water is the water i imagine one get’s in heaven.
in germany, one has to get used to scrubbing stubborn sediment from faucets and sink bottoms. it’s a far cry from heaven let me tell you.
with landscapes so beautiful it feels like your stuck in an apple wallpaper, it’s difficult not to think you’re in some sort of untouched utopia. you can drink water from practically anywhere, the people are kind, sheep are unfenced and frolic around as they please. yes, you may have to run a genealogy test with everyone you go on a date with, but at least you won’t be thirsty.
one thing to note, however, is the hot dog situation. the situation refers to the hot dog hype in iceland. supposedly the most famous hot dog stand in europe is nestled into the heart of reykjavik. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, conveniently translating to “best hot dogs in town” (optimised for google searches, naturally), rose to fame after being consumed by bill clinton and other high flyers alike. (coming from a man who swore by velveeta cheese on chicken enchiladas… i’m not so sure this is a credible source.)
apparently the secret is in the sauce, or remoulade. brought over by the danes, a mixture of relish and mayonnaise that comes together to form an oddly coloured condiment that marks the sign of a good dog in iceland.
lucky for us the best hot dogs in town could be found all over town, and we treated ourselves to a taste as we made our way out of the golden circle. topping choices include: ketchup, mustard, onions (fried or fresh), and of course, the famed remoulade. i opted for everything except the fried onions. a couple sizzles later, out came an ergonomically designed tray, with toughs and valleys housing our hot dogs.
visually, they looked… okay.
the greyish greenish brown of the remoulade didn’t add to the visual appeal, and i couldn’t help but wonder as to where the rest of our toppings were. upon first bite, one realised that the sausage was a blanket that tucked the rest of the toppings in. this impressive configuration ensured for minimal spillage, and it was nice knowing that the hot dog put a little extra effort when getting ready to greet you.
it was good, but i don’t know if i would go as far to say finger licking good. maybe it was the put-together-ness, but i also found myself longing for the satisfying snap of a dodger dog. perhaps lamb meat (the main ingredient) just doesn’t bend that way.
unfortunately, i couldn’t taste the hype.
the saving grace of the meal came when our guide brought a plate of rye bread smeared with butter and topped with a heavy helping of smoked arctic char.
the arctic char came from our guide’s cousin (told you — they are all related here), but unfortunately the gas station didn’t carry the lamb manure smoked variety. nonetheless, the plain version still carried just enough bite to bring the handheld delight to new heights.
to call the bread a rye bread feels a bit like an injustice, because the dough was so moist, it almost crossed into banana bread/sticky pudding territory. the loaf was a far cry from the cinder blocks of dinkelbrot one finds at the german bakery. our guide explained that moisture came from the hot springs whose water both went into the dough and subsequently steamed it — in other places, the proof is in the pudding, but in iceland the wonder is in the water.
come to think of it, the hot dog bread may have been the unsung hero of our first course. spongey yet springy, it dissolved in your mouth at a pace that felt much more natural compared to the play dough mess that comes after your second chew of a slice of wonder bread. i don’t recall hot dog buns tasting nearly that good at other latitudes.
you know what though….. must be the water.
if you are thinking of making a trip up north, i would highly recommend to do so. the water, (maybe not the hot dogs) alone will make your trip worth it.
the last thing i’d want for you, dear reader, is to make rookie mistakes on your future travels, so let me leave you with this — the ultimate hack to blending in: a step by step guide to drinking water in iceland
step 1: find nearest source of running water (faucet, river, estuary, aquifer, waterfall)
step 2: twist, lift, or turn the tap on (may be omitted if water is already running)
step 3: place or dunk a vessel of your choosing (a cupped hand also works) underneath the spout or flow of water
step 4: drink up
skál!
The water must make all these folks happy! It seems to have worked its magic on you!
#1 water in the world!