Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2018, Blaðsíða 6

Throughout his-
tory, sheep have
been intrinsically
linked to survival
in Iceland. They
provide Icelanders
with fluffy wool
for their famous
lopapeysur, as well
as tasty meat for
soup and other
traditional dishes,
such as svíð—half
of a singed sheep’s
head—which can
be bought in many
places through-
out the island,
including the Mýrin
cafeteria at the BSÍ
bus terminal.
This is where I
bought my sheep
head—to go—in
the name of jour-
nalism. A trusted
friend and advisor
accompanied me
on this adventurous
journey. The waiter
at Mýrin kindly
provided us with
plastic cutlery, but
as we didn’t intend
on taking the head
on a fun picnic
outing, we resorted
to a sharper knife
instead once we
were home.
Food staring at you
The first hurdle
after unpacking the
head was decid-
ing where to start.
Unlike a hamburger
patty, svið looks
like... well... a sheep
head. As two
ignorant city slick-
ers, we decided to
watch a YouTube
tutorial first.
Indeed, neither my
friend nor I were
quite prepared
for the elaborate
cutting of meat and
breaking of bones
that would follow. It
almost felt like be-
ing back in biology
class.
Creepy, but tasty
Moreover, we were
surprised to find
how much fat there
is on one head, as
we expected it to
be mostly bone.
It was difficult to
get to all the meat,
but the pieces we
managed to cut
off were surpris-
ingly delicious and
tasted like any
good Icelandic
lamb.
All in all, the
taste was exquisite
and when slaugh-
tering animals,
it’s laudable to
minimise waste
and utilise all parts,
not just tender-
loins. Indeed, the
sheep head made
us acutely aware
of the abstraction
and anonymity
of pre-packaged
meat, and I will hap-
pily reconsider my
identifying as a lazy
flexitarian. NE
A pair of burglars, who turned out to
be father and son, perpetrated a series
of break-ins throughout the month of
August, targeting homes all over the
Icelandic countryside. Ultimately,
it was their own MO that led to their
downfall.
Knock knock!
Their methods were very simple: they
would knock on the door of a random
home. If no one answered, they would
break in, stealing only untraceable
jewelry and cash. If someone did
answer, though, they would say they
were looking for accommodation, and
ask where the nearest guesthouse was.
Tracing police reports from over the
course of August, it appears as though
the pair started in the northwest, then
made their way south before heading
up into the northeast. It was a novel
approach to robbery; so novel, in fact,
that it is what ultimately led to their
arrest.
Why the countryside
though?
People who live in the countryside
typically have fewer valuables that one
could fit into a small car than someone
living in the capital area. In addition,
rural Iceland is known for being one
of the most peaceful areas in Europe,
if not the world. As such, people there
tend to not lock their doors. The fact
that police needed to tell people to start
locking their doors when the break-ins
came to light is a testament to this.
A trail of very obvious
breadcrumbs
Each and every time they struck, local
news services would report on the
burglaries. The method was unique
enough that it was easy to assume these
incidents were connected in some way.
It wasn’t long before national news
began to notice the pattern and report
on it.
Ultimately, the two were arrested in
East Iceland. They were not immedi-
ately locked up, but were barred from
leaving the country (both are report-
edly foreign nationals). Shortly there-
after, the son went out and committed
two more break-ins, in Snæfellsnes. He
is in police custody now.
Father And Son
Burglar Team
Ransack Iceland
Swiping cash and jewelry from
homes around the country
Words:
Andie Fontaine
Photo:
Rebecca Conway
First
T EMPL A R A SUND 3 , 101 RE Y K JAV ÍK , T EL : 5711822, W W W.BERGSSON. IS
BREAKFAST FROM 7
LUNCH FROM 12

It’s your first visit to Iceland and
people won’t shut up about the
famed Icelandic hot dog that you
simply must try—and so you do. For
the rest of the day, all you can taste
is that hot dog, no matter what you
eat, and no matter how much you
brush your teeth. Why? What makes
the aftertaste of the Icelandic hot
dog so persistent and tenacious?
We asked Óli Þór Hilmarsson, a re-
search scientist for Icelandic Food
and Biotech (MATÍS), to solve this
mystery and offer tips for getting
rid of that lingering hot dog taste.
“The persistent flavour of the
Icelandic hot dog has nothing to do
with the preservatives in it. Rather,
it comes from the fact that the hot
dogs are smoked, usually with oak
and other woods. It also happens to
be fatty and salty. When you com-
bine these three factors, it leads to
this taste staying in your mouth the
whole day. One experiences some-
thing similar when eating other
smoked meats, such as hangikjöt. It
is, in fact, possible to get rid of this
aftertaste. For best results, you can
drink tea or coffee. Eating a green
apple has also been recommended."
So there you have it: if you like hot
dogs, but not enough to taste them
all day, chase that ein með öllu with a
juicy green apple. You’re welcome.
ASK A
Scientist
Q: The Indestruct-
ible Aftertaste Of The
Icelandic Hot Dog
6 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 16— 2018
FOOD OF
ICELAND
NEWS

Sh
ee
p
he
ad
The long arm of the law has embraced our fair visitors
Words: Andie Fontaine
Photo: Óli Þór Hilmarsson