'Taste of Iceland' Comes to Boston

Bostonians experienced the flavors and sounds of Icelandic culture at the Taste of Iceland Festival, an event promoting tourism and Icelandic products in the United States, held this past weekend.

In its tenth year in Boston, Taste of Iceland, hosted by the marketing organization Iceland Naturally, has developed a following of people both with and without previous connections to Iceland.

“This is our third time coming,” attendee Rachel Busch said. “We visited Iceland a few years ago on vacation and we loved it, so we wanted to keep doing things that would remind us of our trip. We really enjoy the food and the music nights because you really get to try or hear something new and different.”

The festival is divided into four nights of different cultural experiences. Beginning on Friday and throughout the weekend, guests could sample Icelandic cuisine prepared by chef Thrainn Freyr Vigfússon, with a menu including Icelandic cod, skyr, and cocktails.

On Saturday, a combination of Icelandic and local bands performed at the Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub in an event dubbed “Reykjavik Calling.” Among the four groups performing was a diverse range of music genres, from folk to rock.

Performers credited Iceland’s competitive music industry with allowing them the freedom to juxtapose multiple genres in their musical work.

“We make electric rock with some folky bits in there,” said Hafsteinn Þráinsson, a member of the Icelandic band Ceasetone that performed at Reykjavik Calling.

“The reason why we’ve been able to put these diverse styles together is because the Icelandic music scene isn’t influenced by any major currents or labels, so creation just happens anyway,” Þráinsson said.

The Icelandic film “Rokk í Reykjavik” was also screened at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge on Sunday night. The film, which translates to “Rock and Reykjavik,” follows the story of Icelandic rock stars in the early 80s. Sigtryggur Baldursson, the managing director of Iceland Music Export, led a discussion about the film and Iceland’s contemporary music scene following the screening.

Taste of Iceland also hosted a night of Icelandic literature at the Prudential Center Barnes and Noble on Monday. Eliza Reid, founder of Iceland Writers Retreat, gave a talk about Iceland as an inspirational environment for writers.

At the end of the festival, organizers said they hope guests will leave with a new appreciation for and understanding of the unique culture of Iceland.

“Our best product is the culture. We are known for our culture. For us, culture is always number one,” said Kristjana Rós Guðjohnsen, manager of tourism and creative industries at Promote Iceland.