Page 70 iGap travelguide 2023
P. 70
iGap Travel Guide
70
HÁKARL
PLOKKFISKUR
One of Iceland’s most traditional dishes and possibly
one that splits opinion the most between Icelanders.
It comprises fermented shark and is seen less often
today than years ago but is still a characteristic of
Icelandic cuisine and an experience that is well
worth trying. In
hákarl
, shark meat from Greenland
sharks or other sleeper varieties is cured using the
fermentation process and then hung outside to dry
for a maximum of five months. The meat can have
a strong ammonia-like smell and dependant on
where on the shark’s body the meat is from, flavours
can range from fishy to a strong cheese-like flavour.
Hákarl
is often served in small bitesize chunks and
locals will wash it down with a sip of
brennivín
,
known as one of Iceland’s most popular distilled
beverages and likened to schnapps. If you’re trying
hákarl
for the first time, it is recommended to keep a
glass of
brennivín
close by.
Plokkfiskur
is a simple dish but one that comprises an ingredient that is close to Icelandic hearts – fish. It’s an
Icelandic fish stew that’s traditionally made with locally caught white fish such as pollock, haddock, and cod.
Mixed with onion, potato, seasoning, and plenty of milk, cheese, and butter, this baked dish is very hearty
and the perfect counter measure to those cold Icelandic evenings. Traditionally, a
plokkfiskur
was a method
of not wasting any part of the fish but today, modern Icelandic families will use fresh fish for this dish and
furthermore, it’s found in a number of restaurants.
70
HÁKARL
PLOKKFISKUR
One of Iceland’s most traditional dishes and possibly
one that splits opinion the most between Icelanders.
It comprises fermented shark and is seen less often
today than years ago but is still a characteristic of
Icelandic cuisine and an experience that is well
worth trying. In
hákarl
, shark meat from Greenland
sharks or other sleeper varieties is cured using the
fermentation process and then hung outside to dry
for a maximum of five months. The meat can have
a strong ammonia-like smell and dependant on
where on the shark’s body the meat is from, flavours
can range from fishy to a strong cheese-like flavour.
Hákarl
is often served in small bitesize chunks and
locals will wash it down with a sip of
brennivín
,
known as one of Iceland’s most popular distilled
beverages and likened to schnapps. If you’re trying
hákarl
for the first time, it is recommended to keep a
glass of
brennivín
close by.
Plokkfiskur
is a simple dish but one that comprises an ingredient that is close to Icelandic hearts – fish. It’s an
Icelandic fish stew that’s traditionally made with locally caught white fish such as pollock, haddock, and cod.
Mixed with onion, potato, seasoning, and plenty of milk, cheese, and butter, this baked dish is very hearty
and the perfect counter measure to those cold Icelandic evenings. Traditionally, a
plokkfiskur
was a method
of not wasting any part of the fish but today, modern Icelandic families will use fresh fish for this dish and
furthermore, it’s found in a number of restaurants.
