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EveryCow

Curd and fermented milk

Skyr

Iceland's thick strained cultured milk, made from skimmed milk since the time of the sagas.

Skyr is a cultured dairy food of Iceland, made from skimmed milk soured with a little of the previous batch and often set with rennet, then strained until thick. It is eaten like yoghurt, though technically it is closer to a fresh cheese. Skyr is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas and has been part of the country's diet since the Norse settlement.

What goes in

Skimmed milk: 83%83%Skyr starter: 8%Rennet: 8%3parts
  • Skimmed milk1083%, The cream goes to butter.
  • Skyr starter18%, From the previous batch.
  • Rennet18%, A drop helps the set.

Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each input's share of the product.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house and herd to herd; this is one traditional way, in outline.

  1. Step 1: Milk Skim the cream from fresh milk.
  2. Step 2: Boil Heat the skimmed milk and cool it to warm.
  3. Step 3: Ferment Stir in skyr from the last batch and a little rennet.
  4. Step 4: Set Leave it to set and sour for several hours.
  5. Step 5: Strain Strain through cloth until thick and serve with cream.
  6. Skimmed milk: 83%83%Skyr starter: 8%Rennet: 8%
    Finished Skyr, by share.

Since the settlement

Norse settlers brought cattle and sheep to Iceland in the ninth century, along with their dairy skills. Skyr was made on farms through the long centuries of isolation, from cow milk and also, in earlier times, sheep milk. The cream went to butter and the skimmed milk to skyr, so nothing was wasted, and the whey was used to preserve meat.

Icelandic cattle

Icelandic cattle descend from the animals the settlers brought, and the country has kept them as a closed breed for centuries, without importing other cattle. Skyr was traditionally eaten with milk or cream and sugar, or mixed with porridge as hræringur. Today it is made industrially and sold in many countries.

Where it is used

BreakfastWith cream and berriesHræringur

The breeds behind it

IcelandicIceland's own breed, kept pure since the settlement.

Also part of it, and being written: Norwegian Red (Scandinavian dairy breed used for skyr made in Norway.).

More on EveryCow

No breeds here yet. New pages are added every day.

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryCow desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and dairy makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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