Okay, how do you win best putrid shark in the world? To start with, let’s check off some myths. As the Grapevine learned last summer, Icelanders have, for ages, captured shark and then used various techniques to age it—these techniques do not include urinating on the shark. It turns out, Greenlandic sharks smell like piss naturally. Good stuff.
In Reykjavík, most traditionalists believe that the only place to go to get great shark, which is typically eaten in January and February for the ancient month of Þórri, is Snæfellsnes. Snæfellsnes shark is good, but Fjörukráin, the Viking-themed restaurant in Hafnarfjörður, has better, as we found out in a accidental taste test.
The shark at Fjörukráin has a more yellow shade to it, and the taste, while still throat-clearing in ammonia odour, is more subtle than you’d expect. The texture is a mixture of dried meat and a soft cheese.
Yes, putrid shark is an acquired taste, but if you’re going to acquire it, we can say Fjörukráin has the best in the world. As for how you can get some without going to the restaurant, we can’t help you—we were refused access to the shark processor, told only that he lives in Hafnarfjörður and that he is Fjörukráin’s best kept secret.
Fjörukráin, Strandgata 55, Hafnarfjörður, 220 Hafnarfjörður, Tel.: 565 1890.
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