Iceland's chilling delicacy

So now you've known how splendid Iceland's scenery is and it's must visit tourist attraction. Time to find out what Iceland cuisine has to offer. We won't be talking about all those cuisine that pleased the eyes and makes you drool even before you smell it. We'll be listing some of Iceland's nasty looking dishes, some of it you may not dare to try at all, but some will taste quite well even they don't look that appetising.

1) Svið - 'Burned' Sheep-heads

It looks similar like what most people would associate with devil-worship. A sheep's head that's been burned to remove the wool, cut in two in order to remove the brain and boiled. It's either eaten fresh or pressed into a specially made sheep-head jam called Svidasulta. Despite the rather gruesome appearance, many tourists said it actually tasted quite good.

Even though they look quite serene and peaceful, some people can't stand the thought of eating a burned head. Many people eat only the lower jaw and the tongue to avoid 'eye contact.'

2) Kæstur Hákarl - Rotten Shark

This is without a doubt the most pungent and dubious thing at the table. Tastes like a combination of dodgy fish and strong French cheese with a hint of ammonia. Some even said it tasted like urine. If you ever come across and are offered some, it is wise to take the darkest piece you see (the lighter the colour, the stronger the taste).

The greenlandic shark itself is poisonous when fresh due to their waste are stored inside their body and as such their flesh has a high content of uric acid, but may be consumed after being processed. The shark is cut into big strips and buried in sand for about six months. So letting it fester slowly under a cold beach will drain away all those nasty fluids.

It has a particular ammonia smell, not too dissimilar from many cleaning products. Served cold in little pieces, be careful not to eat too much as it can result in diarrhoea.

Note - do not attempt to prepare rotted shark at home! If you do it wrong or don't leave it in the ground for long enough, it's quite likely that you will die in agony from eating it, as it is full of neurotoxins and ammonia, which are filtered out using the process described above.

3) Slátur - Haggis

Sounds like 'slaughter' for a reason. Sheep innards tied up in sheep's stomach and cooked. Similar to the Scottish haggis, only this comes in two varieties. The black named Blóðmör, which is made from blood, and the white name Lifrarpylsa, which is made from livers. Sometimes the slátur has been pickled with milk. Others might even put raisins in it, and you may spot an old person putting sugar on it before eating it, but this is not recommended.

4) Selshreifar - Sour Seal Flippers

The flippers of those adorable animals, made sour in milk and salted. They taste sour, salty and slimy. These are rare, except at some family feasts where the participants have hunted the seals themselves. Quite revolting.

5) Lundabaggi - Sheep’s fat

This is a tough one to explain - it is made from secondary meats, like colons and other such stuff, rolled up, boiled, pickled (made sour in mysa, more commonly known as whey), sliced and held together with string. Very fatty, it may be a good idea to cut away the fat before eating, as sour fat usually tastes bad, but it won't leave you with much meat on your plate.

6) Súrsaðir Hrútspungar - The cured scrota of rams, including testicles

Ram's testicles, pickled in whey, put in gelatin, pressed either into a cake with garlic, as a jam, or as a kind of pâté that tastes sour and spongy, with a texture reminiscent of pressed cod roe. Not bad if you don't think about it too much, especially in pâté form'.

7) Hvalrengi - Sour Whale-fat

Made sour with milk. Tastes like sour papier mâché, and probably not very healthy either. Fresh whale blubber is stringy and tough, but apparently pickling it makes it soft and more easily digestible.

8) Kæst skata - Rotted Stingray

Made in the same way as the shark, but not as pungent and offensive to the nose as the rotted shark. It has a strong smell of ammonia about it. Sometimes it is mashed, then it is called skotustappa. Usually eaten as a main course, with potatoes.

Source : BBC News

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