Contact
Þóra Valsdóttir
Project Manager
thora.valsdottir@matis.is
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic product that has probably been made in Iceland since the colonization, but a dairy product under this same name was then known in all the Nordic countries. Skyrgerð, however, seems to have been preserved only in Iceland. Curing was a way to preserve milk and maximize its nutritional value, but curd was an important staple food that helped Icelanders survive. In the past, butter was considered a premium food, while curd was considered a poor man's food. Now we know that due to the high protein content of curd, it was indeed the salvation of poorer households and provided the energy needed for daily work. Skyr is made from skimmed milk that remains when the cream is separated from the milk to make butter. Skyr is still a popular food and for centuries it was by far the most common dairy product in Iceland, along with butter and whey.
It is likely that the curd in the colonial era was different from what we know today, both more acidic and thinner. There has been a big change in the production of skyrs in the last century with the introduction of its factory production. Skyr is an important part of the cultural heritage of Icelanders, and it is therefore necessary to gain more knowledge about this product.
Recently, Matís and the University of Iceland started research on Icelandic curds as biological cultural heritage. The research brings together farmers, ethnologists, dairy scientists, food scientists and biologists and focuses on the cooperation of the species involved in making the curd: humans, farm animals and microbes. Live curd bacteria are a good example of how the symbiosis of microbes and humans over the centuries has contributed to a diverse microflora in curds and in the intestines of Icelanders. In the project, this diversity will be investigated and the aim will be to reproduce varieties of curd that correspond to the taste and texture of the past based on the memories of the people of curd and the experience of farmers and dairy experts in curd making. The aim is to deepen the understanding of the diversity and resilience of biological cultural heritage by looking at the complexity and transformation of curd over time. We are looking for interviewees who have experience making curd both in the past and now, and interviewees who have eaten curd for many decades and can tell stories from the past and the changes they have experienced. Those who are interested in participating in the research are kindly asked to contact Jón Þór Pétursson ethnographer or Þóra Valsdóttir food researcher at the email address skyrlifi@gmail.com or by phone at 853-5118. See more about the project at www.matis.is.