Haukarl ( Khakarl, Khakarl ; Isl. (Kæstur) hákarl , IPA (Icelandic) : [ˈhauːkʰadl̥] ) - Icelandic national dish: cured meat of the Greenland polar shark ( Somniosus microcephalus ) or giant shark max .
Fresh, polar shark meat is poisonous due to its high urea content. By tradition, in many cities of Iceland in January, the Torrablot gastronomic festival is held . During it, it is customary to cook and taste the real food of the ancient Vikings .
Content
Cooking Method
Shark carcasses are fresh, cut into pieces and stacked for 6-8 weeks or more - depending on the season - in containers with gravel and holes in the walls so that juices saturated with urea can flow out freely. Then they take out the meat and, hanging it on special hooks, leave it to dry in the fresh air for another 2-4 months. During this time, the pieces of meat are covered with a crust, which must be cut so that there is only one inside of the yellowish color, which is served to the table.
The story of the creation of the dish
Ancient Vikings could catch in their waters Greenland sharks. Urea accumulates in the blood of sharks, as a result of which their meat contains high concentrations of toxic compounds (urea, ammonia ). So a cooking method was invented, after which the meat can be somehow digested by a person.
See also
- Surstroming
- Copalhen
- Tongzidan
- Lutefisk
- Balut
- Centenary egg
Literature
- Weil P. Hakarl, Icelandic rotten shark .