Wedge Rock
11-20-2008, 11:49 AM
Hakarl, which is an Icelandic delicacy, is a dish that's served during the Icelandic midwinter festival, Thorrablot. Usually taken with a shot of "brennivin" (a strong spirit made from potatoes), this unique dish has been described by some to have a powerful "cheesy" flavor, while others have described it as the vilest thing they ever tasted, almost akin to solid urine. But it's not the unique taste of this delicacy that puts it on the map, but rather what it actually is--rotten shark meat.
Killed, gutted, and then boned (or more correctly "cartilaged"), a shark's flesh is divided into pieces, washed and then buried in a large hole with coarse gravel. This meat is then left to decay and rot in the pit for 6-8 weeks to a few months, depending on the season. Afterwards the meat is dug up, washed, and aired out in a drying shack for another 2-4 months. Once the curing process is done, the meat is taken, its brown crust is removed and the remaining whitish flesh is carved up into small pieces to be served.
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[W]hy not eat fresh shark meat?
The reason for this is actually simple--fresh shark meat, from the sharks of that region, is poisonous. In Iceland the sharks that are predominant are Greenland sharks, which do not have urinary tracts and, therefore, must secrete their urine from their skin. As a result, high amounts of uric acid become so concentrated in the shark that eating even some of it can potentially cause people to vomit blood. By allowing the shark to fully decay and be cured the acid is removed from the flesh, thus making it easier to digest.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/422669/the_mystery_of_hakarl_rotten_shark.html
Killed, gutted, and then boned (or more correctly "cartilaged"), a shark's flesh is divided into pieces, washed and then buried in a large hole with coarse gravel. This meat is then left to decay and rot in the pit for 6-8 weeks to a few months, depending on the season. Afterwards the meat is dug up, washed, and aired out in a drying shack for another 2-4 months. Once the curing process is done, the meat is taken, its brown crust is removed and the remaining whitish flesh is carved up into small pieces to be served.
...
[W]hy not eat fresh shark meat?
The reason for this is actually simple--fresh shark meat, from the sharks of that region, is poisonous. In Iceland the sharks that are predominant are Greenland sharks, which do not have urinary tracts and, therefore, must secrete their urine from their skin. As a result, high amounts of uric acid become so concentrated in the shark that eating even some of it can potentially cause people to vomit blood. By allowing the shark to fully decay and be cured the acid is removed from the flesh, thus making it easier to digest.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/422669/the_mystery_of_hakarl_rotten_shark.html