{"id":5,"date":"2012-08-05T03:25:30","date_gmt":"2012-08-05T03:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bizarrefood.com\/blog\/?p=5"},"modified":"2020-04-09T05:33:46","modified_gmt":"2020-04-09T05:33:46","slug":"hakarl-shark-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/hakarl-shark-meat\/","title":{"rendered":"H\u00e1karl – Putrefied Shark Meat"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you are planning a voyage to Iceland, while you are there you can have the unique experience of biting a shark, instead of having it bite you.\u00a0 This is one shark you\u2019ll want to bite, as it is putrefied.\u00a0 Better known as H\u00e1karl, this strange delicacy is worth a try \u2013 if you can get past the smell!<\/p>\n

\"Hakarl<\/a>

Hakarl Shark Meat Iceland<\/p><\/div>\n

How is H\u00e1karl Served?<\/p>\n

H\u00e1karl is one of Iceland\u2019s more well-known traditional offerings, and is perhaps a bit infamous as well. H\u00e1karl is typically served on a small plate, and is cut into small cube-shaped pieces that may look a bit like cheese to the untrained eye.\u00a0 Using a toothpick, diners spear their fare, and then the true H\u00e1karl experience begins.\u00a0 Be cautioned that if you are like most people who try H\u00e1karl for the first time, you will gag when you take your first bite.\u00a0 H\u00e1karl is generally accompanied by a glass of Brenniv\u00edn, which is a good thing, as it helps to clear the palate of overpowering taste of this extremely flavorful cuisine.<\/p>\n

What Does H\u00e1karl Taste and Smell Like?<\/p>\n

H\u00e1karl smells of ammonia, high-strength cleaning products and rotten cheese.\u00a0 Each piece is moist to the touch, and retains a fishlike texture, while having a consistency not unlike bamboo shoots.\u00a0 If you are going to try this pungent dish, you may wish to pinch your nose while trying it, but be prepared to handle a very strong aftertaste that may remind you of ammonia.\u00a0 Worst of all, the aftertaste of H\u00e1karl truly lingers, so you may very well find yourself looking for that glass of Brenniv\u00edn.
\nWhy Does H\u00e1karl Have Such a Strong Aroma?<\/p>\n

H\u00e1karl has been consumed since the days of the Vikings.\u00a0 Greenlandic sharks (from which H\u00e1karl is made) do not have kidneys, and thus their meat is highly toxic and contains a large amount of ammonia and uric acid.\u00a0 The Vikings figured out a way to make this toxic fare safe to eat, which is right in line with the Icelandic tendency not to waste food.<\/p>\n

How is H\u00e1karl Cured?<\/p>\n

The H\u00e1karl sitting before you on the serving tray has undergone a process that takes around 6 months.\u00a0 First, the shark meat is buried in a shallow hole, and is then covered over with gravel and sand which is packed down tightly to allow toxins to be removed for a while.\u00a0 Depending on the season, the meat will be left to ferment for anywhere between six weeks and a two months.\u00a0 It is also possible to cure H\u00e1karl in a container with a hole through which the toxins may drain out.\u00a0 After the meat is cured, it is hung to dry, and the curing process continues until the process is complete.\u00a0 After that, the outside of the shark meat is removed (as it is normally brown and crusty from the curing process).\u00a0 Then it is ready to eat!<\/p>\n

Give it a Try!<\/p>\n

If you will be traveling to the beautiful volcano nation of Iceland, you should definitely try some H\u00e1karl with a glass of Brenniv\u00edn, Iceland\u2019s Signature Firewater on the side.\u00a0 Brenniv\u00edn is almost 80-proof, and is made from potatoes, and the name literally means \u201cwine that burns.\u201d\u00a0 Good thing, considering that you\u2019ll need that to take the taste of the H\u00e1karl out of your mouth.\u00a0 Once you get past the burn, you will note it is really tasty liquor!\u00a0 Be brave during your vacation to Iceland and treat yourself to a literal taste of the Viking experience by sampling H\u00e1karl and Brenniv\u00edn.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are planning a voyage to Iceland, while you are there you can have the unique experience of biting a shark, instead of having it bite you.\u00a0 This is one shark you\u2019ll want to bite, as it is putrefied.\u00a0 Better known as H\u00e1karl, this strange delicacy is worth a try \u2013 if you can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[4,106,3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":332,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5\/revisions\/332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bizarrefood.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}