Eating Putrified Shark

Male 1: Okay now it’s to the shark. Male 2: I’ve got to tell you that the smell of this is its like ammonia. Male 1: And it is ammonia. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: The shark, there is a very popular sort of myth around the Icelandic shark as food. And one of the most perpetuated myths is that those that do the shark and hunt it and kill it and then and prepare it, they burry it and pee on it. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: That is actually not true. Male 2: Not true. Male 1: I’ve never heard of anyone peeing on a shark and I wouldn’t eat shark if somebody had peed on it, except there’s only one who can pee on a shark and that is the shark itself. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: Because they− as far as I know, they seep their urine through out their body beneath. They don’t take it out one specific way but its sort of seeps out. So the smell of ammonia is really strong, and there is a very special way of preparing this. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: And as you can see while we’re eating this, the local [Voice Overlap] they were just you know, they were just following the smell they don’t care whether we were on TV or what were doing. Male 2: They just came right from the table and took it. Male 1: Yeah. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: They didn’t even ask. And I mean, they would probably have done something to me if a had stopped them. Okay let’s start just with pick a bite. Male 2: Oh I don’t want to much. Male 1: Ok, I would go for the white one there. Male 2: Go for the white one? Male 1: Yeah, yeah sure try the white one, the white over there okay. Male 2: Okay. So I’ve got a piece of shark Male 1: So let’s start by smelling this really deeply. Male 2: It clears you nose right out. Male 1: There is a kick to it. So, the way to do it is to eat this, sort of almost finish it off to the very last bit and up to the very moment that it is bumped and finished, you follow it up with a, a drink. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: And that, that combination is really essential. This is good on its own but having the combination of a really good by standing vodka with it is really essential. So without further a do— Male 2: Do we toast or anything is there? Male 1: No, no, not with the shark. But you know, I like to do that, that is a good idea. Male 2: Okay. Male 1: Okay so enjoy. Alright, I drink down to come down the last part. Swallow, and now breathe through your nose. Do you feel it? Male 2: Yes. Male 1: This is like, like one of the older guys said to me earlier, between stealing bites from me he said, “Tell him that we eat this as medicine.” Male 2: That’s what he said? Male 1: Yes, that’s what he was saying. One of the guys said, “Tell him that we eat this as medicine we have to have it every year. It’s the best medicine.” Then you have your toothpick by now so you can just choose the bits, the bits can be chewy, they can be hard. We have sort of two types which is called the skin out cut, which is the soft one, and then the clear out cut which is the hard one so I would− they can be a bit to chewy some of them but a nice piece like this, bit on the outer layer and then the white in the inside so. By now it’s already becoming an acquired taste and follow it up. Okay. Male 2: That’s worth coming back to Iceland for. Male 1: And believe− later on this year, many months from now, you’ll get sort of like a nostalgic flashback. Male 2: A drive. Male 1: ..of the taste, I’ll just I would, I would really like to do that again because its, its you know its like a right feeling of the taste buds. Male 2: That was fantastic, thanks a lot for, for inviting me out. Male 1: Thank you. Male 2: And I’ll be back for this. Male 1: Great! Male 2: Thanks a lot!