The Icelandic national cuisine is not for wimps

The cuisine of Iceland has a great diversity and richness. This is largely due to the fact that the land is not too fertile and the climate is unfavorable. So for centuries, Icelanders can be turned out like in food they have is everything, it creates even a feeling that they have no such thing as food waste.

We picked up 15 national dishes of Icelandic cuisine, some of which, perhaps, can only eat real Vikings.

The haukeli — rotten meat bowhead sharks In fresh meat of these sharks is poisonous — it is a huge concentration of ammonia, as this species of shark has no urinary tract. That is why haukal a very long time preparing to bring toxic urea. In fact, shark meat is placed in special containers with gravel, where it goes out for 6-8 weeks. The meat reaches the desired condition, podvalivaet in the fresh air for 3-4 months. In total, the fish goes out for about six months. By the way, the characteristic odor persists from the finished product, however, this does not diminish its popularity among the local population.

Saltfish — salt fish In Iceland, one of the most used methods of preservation of food is a pickle. The fish are completely covered with salt, which then dries her meat. Before you cook this kind of fish, we have to let it soak in water for several hours (or several days, depending on fish size). Traditionally, this fish simply cooked and served with potatoes and bread. Now, Icelanders are more prefer to make salted fish in the Spanish or Italian style, with tomatoes and olives, for example.

Hangikjot — smoked lamb dish, the name translates as "hung meat". The meat is smoked with birch wood or with the addition of dried sheep's droppings. Then boiled and served hot or cold and sweetened with peas, mashed potatoes and white sauce, analogue Bechamel.

Gellar — tabs cod If Geller to cook, as shown in the pictures, in the oven, it's delicious. Geller but usually just boiled and served. Geller often mistaken for fish languages, however, this triangular fleshy muscle just under the tongue.

Hardfucker — dried fish is Another popular dish among Icelanders and even foreigners — dried or dried fish, usually haddock or cod. Icelanders eat it with tons of butter, without which it, frankly, will not swallow, because the meat of fish is too dry.

Volcanic Icelandic bread rye bread is very popular in the country. It is dark in color and has a sweet taste. Eat it with butter and fish or meat. One of the ways of making it very interesting — the prepared dough is placed in a metal mold and leave for a day where volcanoes are warming the upper layers of the soil. This bread is also called volcanic.

Lundi — bird stalled Usually meat cooked in a milk sauce, or smoked. The dish most popular on Vestmanna Islands, where a colony of these birds. Puffins in Iceland very much as we have, for example, of pigeons, so eat them without a twinge of conscience.

Valspeak Valspeak means "whale oil". It is cooked and smoked in lactic acid. Considered one of the main delicacies of the country, now almost no one eats.

Slator — blood sausage or pudding "of Slatur" means, literally, "bloodshed." Slator prepared from the innards, blood, and fat sheep. Sometimes blood pudding served with sweet rice pudding — quite a strange combination.

UD — RAM's head the Whole sheep's head is cleaned from the wool and brains, boiled and sometimes stand in lactic acid. Eat this dish with anything, even the eyes. The tastiest parts are the cheeks and the tongue.

Harutsugu — eggs young lamb Is a delicacy in Iceland, although now almost no one eats, except on holidays. The appearance of this dish is due to the fact that Iceland was a poor country, and farmers used whatever they could. The eggs are first marinated, and then pressed into the biscuit or filled with gelatin.

Whale meat In Iceland eat minke whales (a type of whale that is not endangered). Of whale meat do steak, kebabs or eat it raw with wasabi and soy sauce. The taste is somewhere between tuna and beef.

Catsup — meat soup Traditional soup made from lamb, potatoes, carrots, onions and rutabagas. Say, a very tasty dish.

Skyr Can be, and is not a traditional dish, but very popular among Icelanders and foreigners. Skyr is a dairy product with low fat, reminds a bit of yogurt, though it wasn't. On the basis of thick skhirat make a lot of desserts.

Brennivin — "black death" and finally the popular alcoholic drink "Brennivin". Translates as "burnt wine", is made from potatoes and caraway seeds. Icelanders themselves referred to him only as "the black death". By the way, the price of alcohol in Iceland is very high. Buy a glass of wine or beer in restaurants, bars and public stores, but for alcohol you will have to pay a fortune.