Thorrablot

The 13th week of winter marked the the month of Thorri, beginning on the first Friday after January 19th. The month is thought to be named after Norwegian king Thorri Snærsson, or Thor the God of Thunder in the old Nordic religion, although it is still unclear. When Thorri starts, locals hold a midwinter festival with food, drinks, and entertainment. 

In the past, Thorrablot was a sacrificial celebration in honor of the gods of ancient Pagan Iceland. Around 1000 AD, Christianity invaded Iceland by way of their king, Olaf Tryggvason, and the practice was abolished. After World War II, Iceland saw a cultural revival including the return of this midwinter revel when a group of students brought it back. Today, most celebrations are regarded as very formal events.

Traditional Icelandic food is served, what others would view as unusual cultural delicacies. This would include rotten shark meat (known as hákarl) , boiled sheep’s head (svið), and congealed sheep’s blood wrapped in a ram’s stomach (blóðmör). A schnapps made from potato and caraway, known as Brennivin, or, perhaps more accurately, Black Death, is served as the traditional beverage. Learn more about the traditional Thorrablot foods here! The food serves as a reminder of the day-to-day foods of their Viking ancestors.

If you’re interested in sampling the Black Death schnapps yourself, here is a large selection that comes straight from Iceland.

After everyone has eaten their fill, Icelanders enjoy the traditional arts of singing and dancing. They play games and tell stories until the wee hours of the morning. While most celebrations are held in the home, restaurants also rearrange their menus and decor to honor the holiday.

Thorrablot is a large tourist draw so, if you ever find yourself in Iceland at the end of January, make sure to ask the reception desk where the best parties are! 

Since many of the recipes for Thorrablot are quite adventurous and may not appeal to those who are faint of stomach, I’ve included a recipe of a one of the more appealing traditional foods below:

Icelandic Thunder Bread

This moist, Icelandic dark rye bread (rugbrauð), also called “thunder bread” or “pot bread,” has many similarities to Boston brown bread—it is leavened with baking powder, not yeast, and molasses gives it color and a hint of sweetness. Traditionally, Icelandic rye bread is prepared over the course of 12 or more hours by placing the dough into covered pots and sinking these into geothermal springs. If you do not have a geothermal spring handy, it can be prepared in tin cans or ramekins tented with aluminum foil and steamed in a slow cooker. Steaming the bread is the key.

What is the origin of the name “thunder bread”? Sources say the moniker comes from the after-effects of eating too much of this high-fiber rye. Also, it is served at Thorrablot, the Viking festival in honor of Thor, the god of thunder.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups rye flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup milk (scalded and slightly cooled until lukewarm)
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 cups hot water

Steps to Make It

• Gather the ingredients.

• Whisk together the rye flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix in the brown sugar. Stir the molasses into the lukewarm milk that has been scalded until it dissolves, then slowly stir milk into the dry ingredients (the dough hook of a mixer works great for this). Knead the dough until it is shiny and all the flour is incorporated. Divide into two portions.

• Butter the insides of two tin cans (at least 19 ounces each–watch out for sharp edges) or two ceramic bowls or ramekins, each one large enough to hold 1 1/2 cups of batter.

*Tip*

Important: The dough will rise while cooking, so whichever molds you use should only be filled 2/3 below the top edge.

• Tent the molds with aluminum foil, leaving about an inch of airspace for the bread to rise as it cooks. Secure the edges of the foil tightly around the rims of the molds with twine or rubber bands.

• Place the molds in your slow cooker (rest cans, if using, on a trivet or canning jar lid inside the cooker to help the steam circulate). Pour in enough hot water to cover the lower half of the molds (about 2 cups).

• Put the lid on the cooker and raise heat to high. Allow it to simmer for 4 hours, checking occasionally to ensure that the water hasn’t boiled out.

• Remove bread and serve immediately with butter, cold pickled herring, lamb pate, cold meats, or cheese.

• Enjoy!