Hakarl is fermented Greenland shark, cured for weeks then hung to dry for months until safe to eat; in Iceland we have verified places to eat it in Reykjavik. Start with where to eat Hakarl (fermented shark) in Reykjavik.
Hakarl (fermented shark) · Reykjavik
Hakarl is fermented Greenland shark, cured for weeks then hung to dry for months until safe to eat. It has a powerful ammonia smell and is eaten in small cubes, traditionally with a shot of brennivin.
Greenland shark is poisonous when fresh, so Icelanders learned to bury and ferment it, then air-dry it into hakarl, an extreme example of the preserving that kept the nation fed. It is a centrepiece of the midwinter Thorrablot feast, eaten as a dare-and-tradition with the caraway schnapps brennivin to chase it. Most visitors try a cube at the Kolaportid flea market or Cafe Loki, where it is served as a rite of passage rather than an everyday food.
Where to eat in Reykjavik:
- Kolaportid
- Cafe Loki
Where to eat Hakarl (fermented shark) in Reykjavik: the editor picks