Fermented whale blubber iceland
Are you planning a trip to Iceland this winter? Iceland is fast becoming one of the most popular holiday destinations and for good reason. Remember the global financial crisis in ? As a result, Iceland finally opened up as an almost affordable holiday destination. Thousands of people now head to Iceland and more specifically Rekyjavik every year.
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Why minke whale meat is far from traditional in Iceland
On a recent trip to Iceland, eating local was a memorable part of the adventure. The traveling trio--Ed, my husband, Finn, our 13 year-old grandson, and myself--wanted to sample local Icelandic delicacies. Or, at least, I did! At our second meal we ate whale. No, not whale blubber. Whale meat. It was served as an appetizer and marinated beyond recognition.
It was fine. It tasted more like the marinade than the whale. Our next Icelandic delicacy was puffin--the cute local bird. We also ordered this as a appetizer. When the server brought it to us he said, "It tastes between horse and geese. Our waiter when furious when he heard that.
We'd been warned about shark. It's fermented and everyone said you can smell it from 2 blocks away. They also said, "It tastes better than it smells. To their credit, Finn and Ed ate theirs. I spit mine out. And just so you know, this shark is not caught on purpose. It's shark that's been caught accidentally in fishermen's nets. Although in August we were a little ahead of the Fall reindeer season, our guide-driver managed to find us some.
It was served as Reindeer Carpaccio. The thin raw slices looked pretty on the plate, but was too red, raw, and fleshy for me. Finn, an adventurous eater, ate the whole thing! Our last and final Icelandic delicacy was sheepshead. I'd never heard of this, but at LAX before we boarded the plane to Iceland, Finn was reading about Icelanders eating sheepshead. We had to try it. The sheepshead is served whole--its itty bitty little teeth still intact.
Its taste was my favorite. The tongue was succulent and soft and tasted like good roasted delicate meat. If you're going to Iceland, I'd recommend trying these local favorites. I'd also suggest waiting for your visit. Iceland has a population of only ,, and last year had 2. As our guide, who make this living off tourism, said, "Icelanders have lost our country. The country has got to impose a quota on the number of tourists.

Hakarl: The Icelandic Fermented Shark
What is considered to be the most disgusting Icelandic dish? How can you persuade your taste buds that liquorice is, in fact, delicious to some people? All will be revealed as we delve into the most disgusting food available in Iceland. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Navaro. No edits made.
Rotting Shark and Whale Blubber in Iceland
With most food and alcohol super expensive to buy since everything has to be imported that whole island bit , most locals end up eating at home and pre-gaming until well after midnight before taking to the streets for a raucous night out only on weekends, going out every day of the week would be too expensive. Tasting what I can only describe as a salt lick, this is one bird that certainly did not taste like chicken and was promptly spit out. You may be wondering why they choose to serve it rotten, and the answer is because they have to. Often served raw, I also sampled whale tartare with a fine blueberry sauce that tasted like ahi tuna albeit refreshingly fruity thanks to the topping. It was in fact one of the better dishes despite obviously being discouraged by animal activists who regularly campaign to get the protected creature taken off menus. South Carolina. South America.
Peter Tries Icelandic Food: Fermented Shark Meat & Sheep Eyeball

Sounds good? Well… just wait until you see the foods. Iceland has always been a harsh country and surviving a winter took some serious effort, especially food-wise. As very few things can grow in the Icelandic soil and climate the diet was heavily meat and fish based, but these came with a problem of their own, they spoiled easily.
A Guide to Food and Drink in Iceland
View all 11 Articles. Since ecological and climatic conditions limit the possibilities for cereal production, the old-established Faroese traditional food system is principally based on the utilization of animal protein and fat. The diet of the islanders has thus been adapted to the specific environmental circumstances of the area. Historically, fat has provided a high energy and nutritious food source for the hard-working sheep farmers and fishermen. Fat procured from both land and marine animals has formed a vital part of the local food culture.
Þorrablót: the midwinter feast
Some travel experiences are worth the taking not necessarily because of their enjoyment factor, but rather the stark differences they present from our own everyday reality. Take, for example, the Icelandic dining tradition known as Thorablott. Thorablott is celebrated Jan. In Greenland, a dish by the name of Kiviak makes good use of an abundant local sea bird. A dead seal serves as the vessel into which the carcasses of hundreds of auks are firmly packed. The seal and its contents are sewn up tight and buried under a heap of rocks, where they are left to ferment for up to a year and a half. Kiviak is considered a festive dish, and as such, often served at weddings, birthdays and other special occasions. A specific type of herring is caught in the Baltic Sea just before it spawns in the spring, lightly salted and left to ferment for several months.
Find out all about it! Somehow, out of all the delicious and fresh ingredients Iceland has to offer and the organically greenhouse-grown vegetables and fruits this peculiar phenomenon became the token food for our beloved country. The fermentation of shark meat can be traced back to the Viking age but this outlandish act of preserving food was just one of the many steps Icelanders took to make sure they had enough to go on throughout the year.
Upvote 10 Downvote 3. Almost all the meat from minke whales slaughtered in Icelandic waters is eaten by visitors to the country under the mistaken belief that this is somehow a 'traditional' dish. The skin and blubber, known as muktuk, taken from the bowfin, beluga, or narwhal is also valued, and is eaten raw or cooked. Mikigaq is the fermented whale meat.
Why does everyone obsess over Icelandic hot dogs? Aren't they just hot dogs? Well, they're made with lamb in addition to the usual pork and beef parts. The lamb presence deepens its flavor, and even under a deluge of condiments, you can taste the slight lamby funk at the end. She came back inspired to tell you all about her eating adventures. The mainstays include: lamb, skyr, potatoes, fish, and other seafood. A lot of seafood.
Culinary Journeys. Facebook Twitter Email. CNN — Iceland is known for its breathtaking landscape, hot volcanic pools and, in at least, for trouncing the English at soccer.
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