Iceland’s superfood: A dive into skyr tradition at Erpsstaðir Creamery

Skyr drinks, skyr bowls, skyr bars – the traditional Icelandic superfood Skyr has long become an export hit worldwide and is now being produced internationally and industrially. However, on a farm in Búðardalur, they still rely on traditional craftsmanship and very special skyr products.

Þorgrímur Einar Guðbjartsson doesn't seem like a man who can be easily rattled. The trained cheesemaker started his farm in 1997 with 24 dairy cows "and two children," as he likes to tell. He now has 65 cows and five children – and always a lot to do. For example, when a restaurant from Reykjavík unexpectedly orders ten kilograms of skyr, buying up the entire current production.

Þorgrímur Einar Guðbjartsson suspects that the Council of Europe summit, taking place in the capital of Iceland on May 16th and 17th, is the reason for this. Apparently, locally produced food is supposed to be served. And as a local producer, he has made a name for himself since the opening of the Erpstaðir Creamery in 2009. Recently, he and his wife Helga Elínborg Guðmundsdóttir were awarded the Agricultural Prize.

"We try to fully utilize the milk from our cows”, he says. For example, whey is used to make drinks, and leftover milk products are used in homemade crispbread on the farm. “We succeed, except for a few leftovers," Þorgrímur says. "And those we give to our two pigs."

Þorgrímur processes the majority of the approximately 25,000 liters of milk per year into three to four tons of ice cream ("That's why people come here") and around 2,000 kilograms of cheese and skyr each. The former by-product of butter production is relatively new in his product range. "I felt like trying something new," he says.

The skyr production takes about 40 hours. After pasteurization, Þorgrímur adds some older skyr as a starter to the skim milk. After six hours of fermentation and cooling, the skyr is drained in cotton bags until the desired consistency is reached. "Creamy and fluffy" is how it should be.

The thing Þorgrímur loves the most about skyr is its smell. "Sweet-sour and super fresh, that's a really good smell," he says. He supplies only one store in Borgarnes and one in Hafnarfjörður, as well as some restaurants. Above all, he sells his products in his farm shop. Even skyr coated with white chocolate is sold here as “Skyrkonfekt”.

Why is skyr so popular worldwide today? "I think it's because it’s high in protein and low in fat, which suits modern dietary habits," says Þorgrímur.

Originally, it was the opposite. Butter was used as form of payment in Iceland and therefore highly valuable. Those who didn't have butter tried to preserve the skim milk that was left over during production. This is how the sour-tasting product that is known as skyr today came into existence. "The rich got fat, the poor got strong," Þorgrímur says with a laugh.

Even though the demand is high, he still prefers to focus on quality rather than quantity. And on constant innovation. He allows cheesemakers from around the world to work with him temporarily and create their own cheese. A Danish woman's blue cheese made it into the assortment this way, two Swedish women brought a halloumi recipe, and a cream cheese with Brazilian influences also found its way to the counter. "It doesn't last three days, but fresh products always taste the best," he says. "I think restaurants should also produce more of their own products. It's not that difficult."

Þorgrímur gladly shares his knowledge, with the helpers he hires for production and sales during the summer. Everyone learns all the steps of cheese making. He also shares his knowledge with visitors to his farm, and hardly anyone leaves without peeking into the cowshed or trying his popular ice cream. And after the next production, they can also enjoy fresh skyr again.