Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.07.2018, Blaðsíða 6

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
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