Abstract Compared to other countries, the cuisine of Icelanders seems to be less evolved, and many of their eating habits are still in the primitive stage.

The pickled shark meat that Icelanders like to eat is basically only acceptable to them, and their diet has become their own Icelandic characteristics.

Almost the entire Iceland is built on volcanic rocks, and most of the land cannot be cultivated for planting.

For centuries, Icelanders' life can be summarized simply as three production methods: hunting, fishing and herding.

Perhaps such a rough way of survival cannot completely fill the belly of the Icelanders. They are so hungry that they actually point their dinner knives at the overlord of the sea - sharks.

Many studies and practices have shown that shark meat is not suitable for consumption.

The kidney function of sharks is poor compared to saltwater fish, so they cannot excrete urine that is thicker than seawater. In order to adapt to survive in seawater with extremely high salinity, they can only discharge the urea produced by metabolism into the blood.

Therefore, ordinary shark meat always has a fishy smell of ammonia. Without special treatment, such shark meat is of no benefit to humans.

Icelanders not only love to eat shark meat, but also love to eat fermented and rotten shark meat.

They bury the captured sharks in the sand and allow them to decay naturally for 3 to 6 months before taking them out for consumption.

The smell of pickled shark meat called Hákarl is unappreciative to outsiders. It is not only smelly but also has a strong smell of ammonia. However, in Iceland, this stinky shark is a well-known snack in Iceland.

The only species that can be made into genuine Icelandic shark meat must be sharks from Greenland waters. This kind of shark is ferocious in nature, and fishing operations at sea are also very dangerous. Therefore, this kind of shark meat has always been the most expensive fish sold in Iceland.

After the shark is caught and landed, the fishermen will only choose the red glerhákarl on the shark's belly and the white and soft skyrhákarl on the shark's body as ingredients.

The selected shark meat has to be air-dried for more than 4 months. The thoroughly dried shark meat is officially buried in the sand and deeply fermented until the flesh is completely soft.

Such painstaking efforts often take an entire year to come to fruition.

The tedious production process makes the exotic shark meat a nobility in food.

It can only be eaten in restaurants of a certain size in Iceland. It is not the "stinky tofu" that can be bought at ordinary roadside stalls.

A plate with four or five pieces of shark meat, a glass of local high-strength beer, and a piece of toast are the most common meal accompaniments. However, such a simple specification will cost 6,000 Icelandic kronor to enjoy an authentic Icelandic pickled shark.

Fortunately, not many people are interested in this delicacy.

Some people say that this smelly shark smells like the set of "The Walking Dead", with the smell of rotting flesh everywhere.

"I vomited the shark meat as soon as I took it into my mouth. It was so unpalatable." For this reason, many restaurants will vacuum-seal the prepared stinky shark meat in advance and store it in the refrigerator until customers order it.

Only open and take it out when the time comes, otherwise the smell that is emitted from time to time is likely to affect the restaurant's business.

However, in the eyes of Icelanders, marinated shark meat is indeed the most important delicacy.

Every year on Husband's Day in Iceland, hostesses reward their husbands for their hard work over the year with hard-boiled shark meat.

Many Icelanders are thousands of miles away from home, but they still can't forget the delicious taste of smelly shark. They will buy a small bag of shark meat as soon as they return home to soothe their mouths.

The pickled shark smells bad but may not taste good when eaten, but it has become an emotional link to maintain the local flavor.