What do horses, greenhouses, and volcanic bread have in common? Apparently, lunch.
On a recent trip to the land of glaciers, geysers, and Björk, I stumbled upon one of the most unexpectedly delightful experiences Iceland had to offer: a tomato farm. Yes, you read that right—tomatoes. In Iceland. Outdoors, they’d be freeze-dried salsa. But inside Fridheimar Farm, it’s tomato-palooza every day.
Nestled in the heart of this icy island is a greenhouse operation producing—brace yourself—2 tons of tomatoes per day. That’s a whole lot of marinara in the middle of a lava field. The farm grows three types of tomatoes: cherry, plum, and heirloom. I didn’t know heirloom tomatoes could survive a Viking winter, but apparently, with enough geothermal power and greenhouse glass, anything is possible.
🍞 Bread So Good It Should Have a Passport
Now, this wouldn’t be a Bytes, Bread, and Barbecue tale without, well… bread. And oh, did they deliver. Served in proud Icelandic fashion, their bread came in three delicious styles: poppy seed, herbed, and olive. These weren’t just loaves—they were geological formations of carb-rich joy. I suspect at least one was baked inside a dormant volcano.
I’m already plotting my own volcanic bread experiment back home, complete with a future video attempting to recreate their recipe. Stay tuned for some kitchen lava.
🐴 Five Gaits, No Waiting
As if the tomato-bread combo wasn’t enough, the farm also doubles as a horse sanctuary featuring the iconic Icelandic horse. These majestic beasts have remained one of the world’s purest breeds—so pure, in fact, Iceland doesn’t even allow other horses onto the island. No passports, no exceptions.
But here’s the kicker: these horses have five different gaits. Count ‘em:
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Walk
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Trot
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Canter
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Tölt (which sounds like a Tolkien character)
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Flying Pace (a gait so fast it sounds like it belongs in Top Gun)
These ponies prance with precision, offering a kind of horsey ballet that pairs wonderfully with a bowl of tomato soup and fresh bread.
🌱 From Ruin to Reykjavik’s Favorite Lunch Spot
The story behind Fridheimar is as heartwarming as their tomato soup. The owner took a dilapidated farm from the 1990s and transformed it into a four-pronged enterprise: tomatoes, horses, dining, and bread. Basically, all the elements of a perfect weekend… or an unusually healthy Viking saga.
They even sell an assortment of tomato-based goodies in their gift shop, in case you need tomato jam to go with your geothermal rye bread.
And yes, the owner generously shares his recipes for both the tomato soup and the bread—a rare act of culinary diplomacy that I fully intend to exploit in a Bytes, Bread, and Barbecue kitchen session very soon.
Until then, if you find yourself in Iceland, skip the puffin-watching and head straight to the tomatoes. You won’t regret it.
Check them out here: Fridheimar Farm