Hákarl
Hákarl, referred to as fermented shark in English, is a national dish of Iceland consisting of Greenland shark or other sleeper shark that has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. It has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, making hákarl an acquired taste.
Fermented shark is readily available in Icelandic stores and may be eaten year-round, but is most often served as part of a Þorramatur, a selection of traditional Icelandic food served at the midwinter festival þorrablót.
Brennivin & Hákarl
Hakarl is usually enjoyed with a shot of Brennivin (also referred to as Black Death), a type of liquor. Whether you down the shot in celebration or an attempt to wash away the taste or steady the nerves remains to be seen.
Brennivín
Brennivín the common style of brännvin in Iceland, is considered to be the country's signature distilled beverage. It is distilled from fermented grain mash and then combined with Iceland's very soft, high-pH water, and flavored only with caraway. A clear, savory, herbal spirit, the taste is often described as having notes of fresh rye bread.
It is considered to be a type of aquavit and bottled at 37.5% ABV (80 proof). The steeping of herbs in alcohol to create schnapps is a long-held folk tradition in Nordic countries, and Brennivín is still the traditional drink for the mid-winter feast of Þorrablót.
Today, Icelanders typically drink it chilled, as a shot, with a beer, or as a base for cocktails.