Karl is very popular in Iceland. To make this snack, harmless sharks are dried and fermented. The sharks are often dried for 4 to 5 months. Hákarl can be divided into two parts, one part is called glerhákarl, which is red and comes from the belly of the shark; the other part is called skyrhákarl, which is white and soft and comes from the body of the shark.

Rotten shark meat being dried

The skin of the Greenland shark looks like eroded stone. Greenland sharks can live more than 200 years and can dive as deep as 600 meters under Arctic sea ice. They are longer than great white sharks and can reach 23 feet (about 7 meters). They are ferocious in nature and will prey on polar bears. Residents of Iceland and Greenland have hunted this shark for hundreds of years. Their hides were fashioned into boots and their teeth into cutting tools. Greenland shark meat is a traditional delicacy in Iceland and is called "hakarl".

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