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The Icelandic greenhouse restaurant the place all the things on the menu is comprised of tomatoes


While you consider Iceland, you have a tendency to think about glaciers, geysers, volcanoes, earthquakes and dramatic landscapes. Not often do folks consider tomatoes. Nonetheless, if you cease to consider the nation’s endless provide of geothermal vitality, it’s straightforward to see the potential. As greenhouse rising continues to develop, profiting from the nation’s pure assets, so too does manufacturing. And while the nation’s manufacturing is minuscule in contrast with that of enormous producers reminiscent of China and India, 2020 alone noticed a rise of over 280% in Iceland’s exports of tomatoes. What’s extra, 40% of Iceland’s tomatoes come from only one place – Friðheimar, located 1 hour east of Reykjavik, the place there may be additionally a tomato-themed restaurant inside one of many web site’s massive greenhouses.

Greenhouse rising has been practiced at Friðheimar since 1946 and the present house owners – horticulturist Helena Hermundardóttir and agronomist Knútur Rafn Ármann – have lived there with their youngsters, who’re additionally lively members within the enterprise, since 1995.

So widespread is the Friðheimar expertise that it’s strongly advisable to ebook forward. Word that they’ll maintain your reservation for quarter-hour in case you are working late however, if it’s any longer, you could name and advise them of any delay if you wish to maintain your desk. After all, it’s solely truthful to inform them, however demand is excessive so you’ll want to afford this household enterprise this fundamental courtesy when you don’t want to lose your desk! We had come straight from our Arctic Rafting journey, situated lower than a 15-minute drive away, so judging the fitting time was not too tough. If travelling from Reykjavik, I’d permit an hour and a half, simply to make sure.

Having been proven to our desk located in an open space inside an enormous greenhouse, with aisle after aisle of tomato vegetation close by, we have been greeted by Sonia who gave us a extremely informative introduction to Friðheimar. We learnt about how Iceland’s many wealthy pure assets mix to offer optimum circumstances for tomato rising. A borehole situated simply 200 metres away supplies the proper geothermal heating system, offering lots of of 1000’s of tons of scorching water annually, at a temperature of 95 levels Centigrade, thus serving to to offer the optimum temperature circumstances for fruit manufacturing.

Iceland’s considerable ‘inexperienced electrical energy’ generated by hydro-electric and geothermal energy stations supplies the vitality for Friðheimar’s excessive energy sodium lamps which run for 14 hours per day within the Summer time, and for no less than 17 hours per day within the Winter. There are additionally carbon dioxide tanks to provide all the things just a little increase, with CO2 ranges in every greenhouse round double the degrees you may usually anticipate.

In the case of style, an important issue is water high quality. The vegetation are watered with the identical water that Icelanders drink – the standard is essential as a result of tomatoes are about 90-92% water. and so higher water means better-tasting tomatoes.

Friðheimar doesn’t use any pesticides as a result of in Iceland there aren’t a variety of bugs or flies. As a substitute, they use a organic pest management system the place ‘good flies’ come from the Netherlands (Macrolophus callignosus) eat the eggs of the native ‘unhealthy flies’, thus giving a very good stability between these flies – it’s fairly a easy system however a really efficient one.

We learnt that Friðheimar can also be very near the markets so within the morning, employees attempt to decide the reddest tomatoes off the vegetation, and the packagers will normally ship them on the identical day. Friðheimar branding is used on the packaging, in addition to the Icelandic flag colors in order that you recognize its native, and the house owners Knútur and Helena have gone one step additional and included footage of themselves, in addition to additional data to deliver the enterprise nearer to the shopper.

The vegetation – there are 27,000 vegetation throughout 9 greenhouses – develop to about 9 months outdated and 9 metres lengthy and, after these 9 months, they’re despatched away to native farmers to compost. It’s good for Friðheimar to eliminate them, but in addition good for the farmers to get the compost.

All the things begins within the nursery the place the vegetation are grown from seed there for about 6 weeks. After these 6 weeks, they’re put in the principle greenhouse the place they develop at a price of about 25-30 centimetres per week (fairly quick!). The vegetation are twisted and lowered each single week, and the bottom three branches are eliminated – if they’re left, these branches take all of the vitality away that must be distributed all through the plant. There’s must be 18-20 branches of leaves per plant for optimum manufacturing.

There are solely 20 greenhouse employees coping with 27,000 vegetation and all of the selecting is finished by hand, twice a day. The very best employees, although, are the bees, additionally imported from the Netherlands. There are round 1,200 bumble bees working on the web site, and every bee can pollinate as much as 2,000 flowers per day. Once they pollinate the flowers, they go away a scent, so that they know to not go to the identical flower greater than as soon as. The pure lifetime of the working bumble bee is just about 6-8 weeks, while the queen lives for a couple of 12 months. Maybe unsurprisingly, the male bees simply fly round and don’t do any work in any respect.

The entire operation is aided by some unbelievable expertise, too. Management computer systems in every greenhouse management the warmth, humidity, carbon dioxide and lighting. Management computer systems are additionally linked with fertiliser blenders that water the vegetation based on a pre-determined schedule. Climate stations on the rooftops acquire data on wind pace, wind path, temperature and daylight. And all these units are in flip related to the principle laptop, which is linked to the web. This enables the couple who personal Friðheimar to go surfing, wherever they’re on the earth, and monitor the standing, change settings and management watering.

Having discovered all about Friðheimar, which was actually fascinating, it was time for the principle occasion… lunch!

Our waiter was Lorenzo and, as you should have already gathered from the title, all the things that’s served at Friðheimar makes use of tomatoes in tne substances. And that features the drinks!

In addition to the plain Bloody Mary tomato drink, you’ll be able to select from drinks reminiscent of
Wholesome Mary (a refreshing drink comprised of inexperienced tomatoes, lime, honey and ginger, served chilled with glowing water), Mary Poppins Child (cucumber, mint and lime sorbet, stuffed up with glowing water) and even Friðheimar’s very personal tomato beer on draught, brewed from purple or inexperienced tomatoes.

Friðheimar’s signature course is their tomato soup. It’s served on a buffet with home-baked bread, bitter cream and cucumber salsa. Diners selecting this selection can assist themselves to as a lot soup and bread as they please.

However there additionally different tomato-based dishes to select from such because the recent mussels from Breiðafjörður – a big, shallow bay within the west of Iceland – cooked in Friðheimar’s particular tomato seafood sauce.

And significantly tasty is their ravioli with selfmade pasta sauce and pesto.

Included with all primary programs is selfmade bread from the buffet.

After which there are the desserts… once more, all made utilizing tomatoes, after all, that embrace this scrumptious cheesecake topped with tomato jam comprised of inexperienced tomatoes, cinnamon and lime.

Alternatively, there’s the inexperienced tomato, apple and cinnamon pie served with whipped cream.

No matter you select, you’re certain to be delighted. It is a eating expertise like no different!

We cherished our time at Friðheimar – it was a enjoyable and memorable journey that we might totally advocate you add to your itinerary… simply you’ll want to ebook prematurely as it may be extremely popular, significantly throughout the principle season.

And earlier than you allow, don’t neglect to go to the little tomato store the place you’ll discover quite a lot of meals produce that you could take with you as a memento of your go to.

Grasp Chef Jón Okay. B. Sigfússon has developed and designed all of the meals merchandise for the store and the restaurant. He has a few years of expertise from all over the world, and has cooked for a lot of heads of state.

Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You’ll be able to watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here. Footage from Friðheimar could be seen from 3m 30s – 3m 38s.

Disclosure: This publish is sponsored by Friðheimar. Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.





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