I knew I had to try the shark. There was no way I could go all the way to Iceland and come all the way back without tasting it. People would ask "did you try the shark, yet" or "what did you think of the shark," it was the kind of thing you have to eat when visiting a country. So, on the night of day one, we stopped at Café Loki in Reykjavík, right by Hallgrímskirkja Church, to have some!
Ok, so....it was not so good.
From 5 feet away you could smell something that reeked of dirty socks, and as you got closer, the smell got even worse. The shark was cut into little cubes, just like the photo, and was squishy and wet- almost like a rotten marshmallow. I put it in my mouth and gagged. Let's just say I'm not the biggest fan...
But I forced it down my mouth all so that I could say I tried ICELANDIC FERMENTED SHARK! Also, it didn't taste completely as bad as it smelled, so that was a nice surprise!
The shark is Greenland shark, that was caught then fermented for 9 MONTHS. If I remember correctly, the first stage was being buried underground for about 3 months. Next, the shark is hung in a room for half a year longer. So, it's never cooked- it's raw.
Aside from the shark, the food in Iceland is DELICIOUS. Fish n chips, hot dogs, breads, jams, waffles, chocolate, other types of fish, more fish, and all types of soups are some of my favorite foods I ate during the trip.
If you are going to Iceland, don't let this post deter you from trying the shark! STILL TRY THE SHARK, so you can say for yourself you tried it, and maybe even discover that you like it!
FOLLOW
VOTE
RESTEEM
The photo of the shark above (first photo) I found online at http://cornercottagebakery.blogspot.com/2013/12/iceland.html of some fermented shark. (I was too busy puking in my mouth to take a photo myself).