It was usually for sale at the farmer’s market in Oslo when I lived there, but the raw whale looked pretty unappetizing and we never tried it. The same butcher sold delicious reindeer meat.
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That’s not strictly true. I know quite a few Icelanders who like Brennivín, just like I know Danes and Northern Germans who like Aquavit/Akvavit. And why not, they’re all just caraway liquor. Personally it’s not my first choice but I also don’t find it disgusting.
No hákarl on the other hand; I have never met an Icelander who likes it, even among those that like the other traditional dishes of Þorrablót.
The last (and only) time I had hákarl I had to take a swig of Brennivín to force myself to swallow, though…
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It’s “burned water”. “Burned” in the sense of “distilled”. That’s a general name for any hard liquor in many Northern European languages. (German Branntwein, Danish brændevin, Dutch brandewijn, etc…)
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This is called ‘soft roe’ in the UK (as opposed to ‘hard roe’ which is fish eggs, e.g. caviar). Don’t know if it’s still available, but I had it a couple of times when I was a kid.
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We ordered a tin of Surstromming, but by the time we’d opened it, the meat had dissolved away. Only bones and liquid left. So we’re ordering another one and will be more quick about trying it.
I tried mopane worms in South Africa and was underwhelmed. Kudu, however, is the best steak I’ve ever had, no question.
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Any particular reason? Kud u be more specific?
(I just wanted to make a dumb pun)
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Lol, nice.
For a serious answer . . . It’s very rich in texture and flavor, wand I didn’t find it “gamey.” It’s not chewy (or Chewie)
Kuru, I’ve never had.
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a guy I worked with in a kitchen brought chitlins one day and prepared them for any takers. so, I figured, sure, if I’m ever going to try them, now’s the time. he was really excited to share them and presumably knew how to cook them well:
they tasted pretty good but they smelled enough like shit that it ruined them for me.
(chitlins are the popular pronunciation of “chitterlings”, which are pig intestines.)
in a way, despite being a commonly hunted animal, I suppose the fact that I’ve had venison (deer meat) could be considered “unusual”. my grandpa was a hunter and usually brought home a deer each season, the cuts and ground meat was in the big freezer in the basement so we would have it semi-regularly all year. I thought it was good, if nothing special. just an alternative to buying cow from the supermarket.
but I’m curious: is it that unusual? North Americans, you have or have not been served it at some point? non-North Americans?
it seems like it should be common, at least here, but I get the feeling most NA’s have never had it.
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oh, and my amigos in a different kitchen made iguana one day. it did not taste good at all, to me, but it wasn’t outright disgusting or anything.
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Deer, venison and boar were pretty accessible when I still lived in the German countryside. Not in the shops but everybody knew a hunter. Same here in Norway I think.
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ok but did you personally ever have it?
I guess what I’m getting at is that a commonly-available food is becoming unusual because you or someone you personally know has to hunt it, in other words, food nowadays comes from the supermarket or the drive-thru and anything else is becoming unusual.
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Just to be that one annoying person: I’ve followed the links for measure mesquite, milk weed, and acorns above.
As a botanist, I advise against experimental cuisine with stuff like that because you read some blogs or books on foraging. That something used to be eaten does not mean it’s safe or even healthy.
If you are really sure what you are doing you will probably be ok. But even then, don’t overdo it.
My father always joked “*You can eat everything. But some things only once.” I have to add: some things you can eat more than once, but sometimes it only takes a few times to cause some problems you do not expect.
I know this is a blanket warning, and if I can find time and energy, I’ll be around for your questions. But for the moment that’s my stance: better safe than sorry.
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Oh, yes I did, I thought that was implied.
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thanks. yeah, I’m not even sure my hypothesis is true, but I just wanted to survey the readership, see how it shakes out. maybe venison isn’t unusual in the spirit of the OP but I’m curious.
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That actually looks nicer than the whale I used to see in the Majorstuen market, which was a much lighter shade of pink and super fatty.
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I think chitlins are much like venison, where it depends on the chef. I’ve had venison that was downright awful, and the guy making it never did anything more than bachelor chow for himself, so…
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I would guess it’s as much a generational thing as a divide between city and country living. I grew up with venison too, despite the fact that my grandparents lived in the city. Well, to be fair, it was the house my grandfather was born in, back when there were nothing but fields surrounding the house. The city grew up around them.
There are definitely hunters where I am now, so presumably their children eat venison, but it’s just not as prevalent as it once was. Maybe because it’s more regulated now? Or because there are so many more ways to get food now. Paying for everything (license, gear, ammunition) to be allowed to bag one deer per season is a lot more expensive than the McD’s drive-through.
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My grandmother used to make excellent chicken soup. One ingredient, though, always turned me off: Chicken feet with the shanks. She’d get the chickens live then go from there. Sometimes you’d see the damn things sticking upside-down out of the soup bowl as if the rest of the chicken was still attached and had dove into the bowl headfirst. It was eaten like a corn cob… nibbled around. It was the one food my babysitting grandparents didn’t force on me.
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