This guide covers hákarl, the fermented shark of Iceland, how it is made and how it is eaten today.
What hákarl is
Hákarl is a traditional Icelandic product made by fermenting and drying Greenland shark. The tradition of eating shark in Iceland goes back centuries.
How hákarl is made
Making hákarl has two parts: curing and then drying. Curing is both a preservation and a detoxification process. Microbial enzymes break down compounds such as urea and TMAO that are found in large quantities in fresh shark. After curing, the shark is hung in open drying sheds. Matís researchers studied the process with Bjarnarhöfn, a long-standing shark producer.
Hákarl today
Hákarl was long an important source of energy and protein in the Icelandic diet, and today it is mainly eaten as a delicacy. Hákarl is popular with visitors, who often consider hákarl a national dish of Iceland.
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