deliciousmagazine.co.uk 117
hungry traveller.
I
had long been enchanted by
images of the Faroe Islands, of
its great waterfalls cascading
into the North Atlantic from misty
mountain peaks. When I finally
made it to this far-flung archipelago,
it was as incredible as I’d hoped.
Towering cliffs give way to rolling
shrubland dotted with picturesque
houses, and mighty rivers flow into
crystal-clear lakes at the bottom of
vast valleys. It’s wild and rugged,
brilliant for hiking, the Faroese are
charming, and everyone in this
self-governing Danish region of
some 50,000 inhabitants speaks
immaculate English.
I also discovered a new cuisine,
one wholly interwoven with the
local environment. The air is salty
and the winds strong, so trees don’t
grow here. Only a few hardy root
vegetables are grown locally – beets,
turnips, radishes, swede, potatoes,
carrots and jerusalem artichokes –
with the majority of fresh produce
being imported from Denmark. The
Faroese use what they can from
the sea, air and land, and produce
excellent seafood: scallops, mussels,
cod and, controversially, pilot whale.
The total solar eclipse experienced
here in March 2015 shone a light on
the region, and tourism to the Faroe
Islands has since risen steadily. Add
to that a younger generation of chefs
keen to travel and experiment,
and you have the makings of
an emergent, creative food scene.CAPITAL DINING
Most of the eating-out action
happens in the capital Tórshavn.
At its centre is Vestaravag, a bustling
little harbour with boats bobbing
in gin-clear water and brightly
painted buildings lining the shore.
The Tarv (tarv.fo) grill house
specialises in local seafood such
as juicy scallops with cauliflower
purée. Lamb from the hardy local
Faroese breed is another speciality- but there’s imported US beef and
Spanish ibérico pork fillet for the
la mb-shy.
The nearby fish market is open
on Fridays and Saturdays, if the →
The Faroe Islands
lie, battered by the
sea, between Iceland
and Scotland