Picking Arctic thyme: a short summer in the Westfjords

Summer in the Westfjords is short and bright. For a few weeks the hillsides turn soft with color, and one of the small plants flowering among the moss and stones is Arctic thyme, called blóðberg in Icelandic.

A wild herb, picked by hand

Arctic thyme grows wild. Nobody plants it and nobody waters it. It hugs the ground in low cushions with tiny pink and purple flowers, and it is in full flower for only a short part of the year. That is when we pick it.

Late June through July

Every summer, from late June through July, pickers come to the Westfjords to gather the thyme by hand. It is slow, quiet work, bent over the hillsides in the long light, filling bags one small handful at a time. When July ends, the season is over, and what was picked is what we have for the year.

From the hillside to the salt

Back at the salt house in Reykjanes, the thyme is blended with our flaky sea salt, hand-harvested from Arctic seawater with 100% geothermal energy. Two things from the same corner of Iceland, in one jar.

What it tastes like

Arctic thyme is sweeter than garden thyme, with a soft floral scent that is a little like lavender. It is the smell of the Icelandic hills in July. In the kitchen it loves lamb, cured salmon or trout, roast potatoes and buttered carrots.

Read how to use Arctic Thyme Salt, try our rack of lamb, or shop Arctic Thyme Salt.