.jpg?width=1600)
Icelandic fermented shark
Kæstur hákarl · Reykjavík, Iceland
Poisonous Greenland shark, fermented and air-dried, has become Iceland's most hard-core national dish.
Know before you go
- Don't make a show of spitting it out or mocking it in front of others (it is traditional Icelandic food)
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Fermented shark (hákarl) is an Icelandic national dish made from Greenland shark or other sleeper sharks. The fresh meat contains large amounts of urea and trimethylamine oxide and is poisonous, so it is specially fermented and then hung to dry for four to five months. With its strong smell of ammonia and fish it is very much an acquired taste, and first-timers often gag. It is sold in Icelandic shops all year round, but most often appears among the traditional foods served at the midwinter festival of Þorrablót.
Local customs
Cut into small cubes and eaten on a toothpick, often with a shot of the Icelandic spirit brennivín
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Iceland: headlights on all year when driving
- Keep dipped headlights on all year, fit suitable tyres in winter and keep to the speed limit
- Drink-driving (Iceland's limit is stricter than the UK's)
Breaking traffic rules brings heavy fines.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Iceland travel advice
Iceland: keep away from waves, cliff edges and hot-spring vents
- Stay behind warning lines and tell your hotel your plans or register them with Safe Travel Iceland
- Going near waves, cliff edges and geothermal vents
These are the most common causes of accidents in Iceland.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: GOV.UK: Iceland travel advice
Don’t DON'T
Don't make a show of spitting it out or mocking it in front of others (it is traditional Icelandic food)
Locals appreciate DO
Icelanders appreciate visitors who dare to try a piece without turning their noses up.
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Reykjavík's flea market and some restaurants offer small tasting portions
- on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, the Shark Museum lets you see the drying sheds. Prices and opening hours are set by each shop
- popular old places often have queues, so go outside peak mealtimes.