Yesterday I accomplished one of my life goals: Eating rotten
shark!
In Iceland, rotten shark (Hákarl) is a delicacy that is famous for being nasty. Hákarl is made by taking a dead shark and burying it in the dirt for 6-12 weeks. Then the shark (or what remains of it) is hung up to dry for a few months. Then it’s all ready to be eaten! If this sounds disgusting, it’s because it is.
I went to the market yesterday with some friends. The market had a stall selling hákarl so we decided to buy some for all of us. We each got a tiny cube, but the smell was overpowering. We went outside so we could eat it in the fresh air, then collectively took a deep breath, and popped the hákarl in our mouths! I just swallowed the rotten shark right away. Going down, it wasn’t so bad, but then the smell of it hit me and this foul smell lingered in my mouth. Some of us weren’t even able to keep it down! Immediately after, I went to wash my hands, but I couldn’t get the smell of rotten shark off my fingers. I had to wash my hands about 6 times before the stench went away for good.
Eating rotten shark is a classic Icelandic experience and I’m glad I was able to do it! Then we walked to Perlan which has great views of the city. The most notable part was this exchange:
American person: Oh, there’s a zoo here! I like zoos. We have one where I live.
Me: Where I live we have a zoo full of monkeys and lions and giraffes and stuff.
In Iceland, rotten shark (Hákarl) is a delicacy that is famous for being nasty. Hákarl is made by taking a dead shark and burying it in the dirt for 6-12 weeks. Then the shark (or what remains of it) is hung up to dry for a few months. Then it’s all ready to be eaten! If this sounds disgusting, it’s because it is.
I went to the market yesterday with some friends. The market had a stall selling hákarl so we decided to buy some for all of us. We each got a tiny cube, but the smell was overpowering. We went outside so we could eat it in the fresh air, then collectively took a deep breath, and popped the hákarl in our mouths! I just swallowed the rotten shark right away. Going down, it wasn’t so bad, but then the smell of it hit me and this foul smell lingered in my mouth. Some of us weren’t even able to keep it down! Immediately after, I went to wash my hands, but I couldn’t get the smell of rotten shark off my fingers. I had to wash my hands about 6 times before the stench went away for good.
Eating rotten shark is a classic Icelandic experience and I’m glad I was able to do it! Then we walked to Perlan which has great views of the city. The most notable part was this exchange:
American person: Oh, there’s a zoo here! I like zoos. We have one where I live.
Me: Where I live we have a zoo full of monkeys and lions and giraffes and stuff.
Finnish person: In Finland we have a zoo! It has cats and
dogs...you can pet them.
Everyone: *crickets*
So now we all want to go to Finland to see the world famous
Lahti petting zoo! Anyway, it was a lot of fun and now I can proudly say I ate
rotten shark. :)
Wow! and ewwww! My stomach is churning just at the thought of it Joseph! Amazing that you actually did it. Way to go (I think, lol)!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the day length like there? Will it be dark 24/7 at some point?
Tara, when I got here in August the days were long - it didn't get dark until 10:30 or so. That's been changing fast, though. This week the sun's down by 9:00. Soon it will be getting dark very early. In all of December Reykjavik only gets 9 hours of sunlight! Everyone says the dark winter is one of the toughest parts of living in Iceland and I believe it. I expect it to be difficult but I'm doing my best to prepare for it!
ReplyDeleteWhoa ... 9 hours for the whole month! Do you have any Vitamin D with you? You should take 2000 IU every day, STAT! I'd be under one of those anti-SAD lights. That is pretty intense. It is already getting dark here around 7:30 and I am dreading the shorter days. When do you come back to Canada?
ReplyDeleteI know, I need to stock up on vitamin D for sure! I'll be back sometime in December after exams, but then I'll be heading right back for another 4 months!
ReplyDelete