The country's primary products revolve around food. Icelandic lamb is superb and is available in specialty stores like Whole Food and Wild Oats Markets in the US. Icelandic seafood is renown, includes cod and arctic char among several varieties and can be found in fine restaurants in Europe and America. Next time you order the seafood sandwich in your favorite fast food place, odds are the fish came from Iceland!

Icelanders enjoy flavorful foods. Spices play an important role in local preparation and I found a wonderful local producer of natural herbs and spices called PotMagic hwww.potmagic.com. They have over 24 blends, use only natural ingredients and are wonderful for cooking a variety of meat and seafood dishes.

Dining in Iceland is fantastic. To maintain the constant stream of European and North American visitors, the restaurant scene has evolved into one of the hottest and most diverse on either continent. My Icelandic dining odyssey began at the Pearl, a huge, somewhat unsightly glass dome, surrounded by huge thermal water storage tanks, overlooking the city of Reykjavik. At night, the view of the city is spectacular as was the Icelandic lamb, encrusted with natural herbs.

The Lobster house, in the center of town, featured Icelandic lobsters, a sweet succulent shellfish similar to Langoustines. Served broiled in garlic butter and, if you wish, with an incredible black cheddar cheese sauce drizzled on top. Very different and, in a word, delicious!

And for a touch of Eurasian fusion cuisine, Apotek is the answer. With a stunning interior, this bar and grill makes Tahitian tuna tartar with won ton chips and crispy banana spring rolls with caramel sauce and coconut ice cream seem completely at home on the same table with grilled reindeer!

Local TV personality, Chef Siggi Hall has become the Bjorg of the international culinary scene. This French-trained chef relies on local ingredients to create delicate fare with a Mediterranean twist. His specialty is Icelandic salt cod prepared in a tomato and saffron sauce. His restaurant, Siggi Hall at Odinsve, is considered to be one of the best in Europe.

My tribute to Icelandic dining would not be complete if I didn’t share with you one of the best local tastes I encountered during my visit. They have the most fabulous hot dogs anywhere in the world! Sold at Pilsen (hotdog) stands, the mix of lamb and pork sausage combined with everything on it including mustard, mayonnaise, relish, crispy onions and some things I didn’t recognize, convinced me that Iceland simply has it all!

For more information about dining in Iceland log on to www.goiceland.org