4 ms·

> their flesh, unless processed through a lengthy and complicated ritual, is highly toxic ...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's jus

> their flesh, unless processed through a lengthy and complicated ritual, is highly toxic ...and even once processed, is disgusting. For a few seconds it's just bland seafood. Then the ammonia punches you in the face from inside your sinuses.

thsowers 6y ago
If I may ask, where did you get the chance to try this, and how was it prepared? I just read this on wikipedia: > If the meat is eaten without pretreatment, the ingested TMAO is metabolized into trimethylamine, which can produce effects similar to extreme drunkenness Might be crazy to think, but the thought crossed my mind if the meat was ever ingested, untreated, for recreational purposes.
- danaliv 6y ago
  Iceland, where it's called hákarl (/'howkartl/, sort of). I don't know how it's prepared now, but the traditional method is to dig a shallow pit, put the shark in there, and then cover it with rocks. The rocks press out the toxic stuff. Then the meat is hung up to dry in an open-air shack. Each step takes 2-3 months. I imagine there's a more industrial process now but I don't know for sure.
  - teruakohatu 6y ago
    Do the chemicals prevent the meat from rotting? Or is the ground acting like a freezer?
    - danaliv 6y ago
      It ferments.
    - MrDresden 6y ago
      Hung for fermentation for a few months. Can see some of the process here[0]. It tastes a bit like strong cheese, with the same texture. Usually eaten with cold snaps. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ
  - test1235 6y ago
    Hakarl is also available in Iceland - it's served in little cubes, if I remember correctly.
shard 6y ago
The ocellate spot skate, or 홍어, is a delicacy in Korea. It is a fish with high ammonia content and is rather expensive. The English Wikipedia article does not have much details about it, but the Korean version does: https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%8D%EC%96%B4 https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%8D%EC%96%B4 The ammonia does punch you in the face, but that can become an addictive sensation just as wasabi does.
- meheleventyone 6y ago
  Fermented skate is also eaten on Þorláksmessa (23rd of December) here in Iceland. Although it's boiled. Going into a house or restaurant where it's being prepared is an experience in itself.
  - codpiece 6y ago
    We went into a seafood restaurant before Christmas and I thought they were closed and cleaning the floors, the scent was so strong. We waited at a bus station with a restaurant serving the dish, and the scent stayed on our jackets for weeks.

thsowers 6y ago

If I may ask, where did you get the chance to try this, and how was it prepared? I just read this on wikipedia: > If the meat is eaten without pretreatment, the ingested TMAO is metabolized into trimethylamine, which can produce effects similar to extreme drunkenness Might be crazy to think, but the thought crossed my mind if the meat was ever ingested, untreated, for recreational purposes.

danaliv 6y ago
Iceland, where it's called hákarl (/'howkartl/, sort of). I don't know how it's prepared now, but the traditional method is to dig a shallow pit, put the shark in there, and then cover it with rocks. The rocks press out the toxic stuff. Then the meat is hung up to dry in an open-air shack. Each step takes 2-3 months. I imagine there's a more industrial process now but I don't know for sure.
- teruakohatu 6y ago
  Do the chemicals prevent the meat from rotting? Or is the ground acting like a freezer?
  - danaliv 6y ago
    It ferments.
  - MrDresden 6y ago
    Hung for fermentation for a few months. Can see some of the process here[0]. It tastes a bit like strong cheese, with the same texture. Usually eaten with cold snaps. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnjtnzyTNoQ
- test1235 6y ago
  Hakarl is also available in Iceland - it's served in little cubes, if I remember correctly.

shard 6y ago

The ocellate spot skate, or 홍어, is a delicacy in Korea. It is a fish with high ammonia content and is rather expensive. The English Wikipedia article does not have much details about it, but the Korean version does: https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%8D%EC%96%B4 https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%99%8D%EC%96%B4 The ammonia does punch you in the face, but that can become an addictive sensation just as wasabi does.

meheleventyone 6y ago
Fermented skate is also eaten on Þorláksmessa (23rd of December) here in Iceland. Although it's boiled. Going into a house or restaurant where it's being prepared is an experience in itself.
- codpiece 6y ago
  We went into a seafood restaurant before Christmas and I thought they were closed and cleaning the floors, the scent was so strong. We waited at a bus station with a restaurant serving the dish, and the scent stayed on our jackets for weeks.