If you have a sweet tooth, Iceland is a fun place to explore. The nature is nice too.
Icelandic candy is often a mix of familiar flavours with an Icelandic twist. Chocolate and liquorice are especially popular with a special sweet-salty combination, but there´s much more to discover.
Start with Chocolate
One of the easiest ways to get to know Icelandic candy is through chocolate. If you´re not sure where to start, these are a few favourites to look out for.
Hraun
These little “lava rocks” combine milk chocolate with light, crunchy pieces. They´re easy to snack on and a good choice if you prefer your chocolate with a bit of texture.
Þristur
Þristur brings together soft caramel, liquorice and milk chocolate. Þristur means “three” due to the three main ingredients. The name might look intimidating with the Icelandic letter “Þ”, but don´t let it scare you away! Þristur is the most popular candy bar at our reception for the Caves of Hella.
Draumur
A classic combination of milk chocolate and liquorice. It´s called Draumur, which means “dream”, for a reason. Draumur was introduced in 1984 and was one of the first Icelandic sweets to combine chocolate and liquorice in a single bar. Before that, people would make the combination themselves by wrapping a liquorice roll around a bar of Síríus milk chocolate, a combination that is now available as Eitt sett.
Djúpur
Djúpur is a little different. The word means “deep”, but you can call them snowballs. These liquorice pearls coated in milk chocolate and a crisp white shell, making them seriously hard to put down. Need we say more?
If you discover that chocolate-covered liquorice is your thing, there´s plenty more to explore.
Give Icelandic Liquorice a Chance
Liquorice deserves a mention of its own because it´s such a familiar flavour in Icelandic candy. Liquorice can be very different from one country to another. If you normally avoid liquorice, Iceland might be the place to reconsider.
In the past, liquorice in Iceland was only available in pharmacies. Later, sweeter versions of Icelandic liquorice replaced the medicinal herb into one of Iceland’s favourite sweets.
Here, liquorice is often combined with chocolate, caramel or other flavours, making it quite different from the liquorice you may have tried before. For something simple, try chocolate-covered liquorice such as Djúpur or Þristur. Then, if you´re ready to explore further, pick up a bag of assorted liquorice and see which varieties you like.
Appolo Assorted Liquorice
This is a good option if you want to try several types without committing to just one. It gives you the chance to discover different textures and flavours and, importantly, decide what you actually like.
Liquorice Shoelaces
Long, chewy and fun to eat, these familiar candy laces come with a distinctly Icelandic twist. Perfect if you like your candy chewy. They are also available filled with sweet marzipan.
For the more adventurous, it’s worth trying salmiak-style liquorice like Ópal or Tópas, or even explore a salmiak-pepper coated version like Sterkar Djúpur.
There´s More Than Chocolate and Liquorice
While chocolate and liquorice are a big part of the Icelandic candy experience, there´s plenty more to discover.
Look out for Kókosbollur, a sweet, soft and fluffy coconut-covered treat, as well as chocolate raisins, the chewy Buff, crispy Nóa Kropp and Möndlur which are almonds like you have never tasted before. You´ll also come across sweets such as Bingókúlur, Staur and Froskar. Some may be familiar, while others might require a little more courage. That´s part of the fun.
And then there´s Omnom Chocolate, which takes Icelandic chocolate in a slightly different direction with creative flavours and beautifully designed packaging. There are more premium chocolate treats like the handcrafted Hringur (Circolo) made from natural ingredients.
Last but not least, we recommend Kandís. It is a handcrafted hard candy made from crystallized sugar, traditionally enjoyed with coffee and once found in every Icelandic home. Today, Kandís comes in a variety of flavours inspired by Icelandic flora and is the best-selling candy at our reception at the Caves of Hella.
We encourage you to pick a few different sweets, share them with your travel companions and see which ones disappear first.
Iceland’s love affair with chocolate and liquorice is here to stay. And if you thought you didn´t like liquorice, maybe give it one more chance. Icelandic candy might just change your mind.
