Jenesa and I are pretty much up for trying anything on the menu at least once. Each place we travel has its very own delicacies and must-eat foods. Argentina steaks. Weiner schnitzel in Austria. Kangaroo in Australia. Dumplings in China. Soused herring in Holland. Pizza in Italy. French Fries in France (right?). Beer in Germany. Ceviche in Peru. Shaved Ice in Hawaii. BBQ ribs in Memphis and St. Louis.
Welcome to Iceland. Home of the fermented shark (jar 1), puffin (2), and minke whale (3)!
Two blocks up the street from our hotel was the Icelandic Bar. This restaurant served all three delicacies for locals and tourists to sample. Here I shall review each "jar" and describe for you exactly how each of these menu items taste (or disgust!).
JAR #1 - Fermented Shark
This delicacy is by far one-and-done! We are both in agreement that it is something to sample, not eat.....and only if forced! This is not for the faint of stomach. The meat itself smells like ammonia....and must be fermented for 6-12 weeks, otherwise it would be poisonous. It is customary to order a shot of Brennivin ("Black Death" or licorice schnapps) to help wash away the taste. The stench of the ammonia is actually worse than the taste of the shark. We had six square bites of shark and that was enough!
JAR #2 - Puffin
As cute as these birds may be....they are on the menu! Puffin meat is usually smoked to taste almost pastrami-esque, or broiled in liver like lumps. Our meat was a bit chewy. I didn't think it had much of a taste. Jenesa thought it was delicious. Again, something to try.....not to eat regularly. Ours looked like strands of liver.....purple and gooey.
JAR #3 - Minke Whale
Don't get your panties in a bunch! Some people may have an issue with us eating whale, but it is by no means an endangered species. And....it was the best of the three samplers we had tonight! The taste is somewhere between tuna and beef. Very tender. Very juicy. If prepared like ours....it will have a reddish-purplish rare center to the meat. I certainly believe I would go back and order me a whole whale steak the next time I'm hungry. It was that good!
Along with the meats above we also sampled some harðfiskur which is basically fish jerky. Icelanders eat this stuff as a snack (with butter). The wind-dried haddock comes in various forms: as thin chips, feathery-soft strips, and brittle crunchy pieces. It was stuck in Jenesa's teeth all night long!
0 comments:
Post a Comment