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Top 5 Things you couldn’t get me to eat in Iceland

I’m sure there are plenty of good food items to enjoy in Iceland but I’ve been driving around in a motor-home for the past week and have been cooking our own meals.  We’ve only eaten out twice so far.  Once a Subway stop which happened to be next to the Bonus supermarket near the camper pick up spot and another time we picked up one of the national dishes of Iceland – a Pylsur or hot dog.  The dogs are served on a panni pressed bun, slathered with brown mustard and crunch fried onions.  Very good and cheap as well as plentiful from any N1 gas station.

But there are a number of Icelandic delicacies that I would pass on if offered.  Here are the top five:

  1. Kæstur hákarl (Icelandic pronunciation: ​[ˈhauːkʰardl̥]) (Icelandic for “fermented shark”) is a national dish of Iceland consisting of a Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) or other sleeper shark which has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. Kæstur hákarl has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste.
  2. Cod Tongues – Gellur.  Walnut sized chunks.
  3. Svid – Half singed sheep’s head cut down the middle.  Go for the cheeks and lips.
  4. Puffin – smoked, pickled or served raw.
  5. Whale – hvalur – Minke whale, tough and rank.  Served almost raw.

 

Honorable mentions include Hrutspungar which is ram’s testicles pickled in whey, Slatur which is left over lamb parts cooked inside a lamb’s stomach lining and Horse (hestur) which can be found in stews or even served very rare even raw.

No thanks, I’ll stick to the $37 pizza.