Welcome to the wonderful world of Hakarl... Icelandic fermented shark.
Imagine there is a type of shark your father caught. Now imagine your sibling ate it and died.
Now imagine that you decided not to avoid the shark and instead buried the toxic shark meat in a small hole in the ground and threw stones on top of the entire thing.
Now imagine that you let it fester for 6–12 weeks in a pool of ammonia and uric acid before hanging it out in the open for a few months, not forgetting to cut it into little cubes.
You’re now able to eat Hakari without dying, although the taste may well make you retch for some time.
As disgusting as it sounds, can you imagine how much trial and error had to happen in order to make this product edible?
Eat the shark at first, you’re dead.
Leave the shark in the open for a week, you’re dead.
Leave the shark in a hole in the ground for a week, you’re dead.
Leave the shark in a hole in the ground for 6–12 weeks without stones, you’re dead.
Leave the shark in a hole in the ground for 6–12 weeks with stones but don’t hang it up, you’re dead!
Leave the shark in a hole in the ground for 6–12 weeks with stones and hang it up, eat it...congratulations... you are alive!
Now prepare it again, following
exactly the same process.
Can you imagine how many people died when trying to make Hakarl before this process was perfected?
View attachment 152994