Svið
Encyclopedia
Svið (ˈsviːθ) is a traditional Icelandic dish
consisting of a sheep's head cut in half, singed to remove the fur, and boiled with the brain removed, sometimes cured in lactic acid
.
Svið originally arose at a time when people could not afford to let any part
of a slaughtered animal go to waste. It is part of þorramatur
, a selection of various traditional Icelandic food that is served as a buffet, particularly at the Þorrablót
mid-winter festival. It is used as the basis for sviðasulta (head cheese
or brawn, made from bits of svið pressed into gelatinous loaves pickled in whey
). Similar dishes can also be found in other Nordic countries, such as smalahove
in Norway and seyðahøvd on the Faroe Islands
.
At the "Fljótt og Gott" ("Fast and Good") caféteria at the BSÍ
bus terminal in Reykjavík
, it is available daily, and can be bought at the drive-thru counter
. The café sells about 10,000 sheep's heads a year, according to its chef.
When eating svið, the ears are sometimes considered taboo due to the superstitious belief that when they (bearing the mark of the animal's owner) are removed, the eater will be accused of theft. It is sometimes held that if the little bone underneath the tongue is not broken, a child that cannot yet speak will remain silent forever. Many Icelanders consider the eye to be the best part of the head.
Lara Weber, writing in the Chicago Tribune
, described her experience of eating svið in a 1995 article on Icelandic cuisine:
Icelandic cuisine
Important parts of Icelandic cuisine are lamb, dairy, and fish, due to Iceland's proximity to the ocean. Popular foods in Iceland include skyr, hangikjöt , kleinur, laufabrauð and bollur...
consisting of a sheep's head cut in half, singed to remove the fur, and boiled with the brain removed, sometimes cured in lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
.
Svið originally arose at a time when people could not afford to let any part
Offal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
of a slaughtered animal go to waste. It is part of þorramatur
Þorramatur
Þorramatur is a selection of traditional Icelandic food, consisting mainly of meat and fish products cured in a traditional manner, cut into slices or bits and served with rúgbrauð , butter and brennivín...
, a selection of various traditional Icelandic food that is served as a buffet, particularly at the Þorrablót
Þorrablót
Þorrablót , or Thurseblot, is an Icelandic midwinter festival that takes place in the month of Þorri, according to the Old Icelandic Calendar, which starts in late January and ends in late February. These festivals were started by Icelandic student associations in the latter half of the 19th century...
mid-winter festival. It is used as the basis for sviðasulta (head cheese
Head cheese
Head cheese , or brawn , is a cold cut that originated in Europe. A version pickled with vinegar is known as souse. Head cheese is not a cheese but a terrine or meat jelly made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig , and often set in aspic. Which parts of the head are used can vary, but the...
or brawn, made from bits of svið pressed into gelatinous loaves pickled in whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
). Similar dishes can also be found in other Nordic countries, such as smalahove
Smalahove
Smalahove is a Western Norwegian traditional dish made from a sheep's head, originally eaten before Christmas. The name of the dish comes from the combination of the Norwegian words hove and smale. Hove is a dialectal form of hovud, meaning head, and smale is one word for sheep...
in Norway and seyðahøvd on the Faroe Islands
Faroese cuisine
Important parts of Faroese cuisine are lamb and fish, due to the proximity to the ocean. Traditional food from the Faroe Islands include skerpikjøt , seafood, whale meat, blubber, garnatálg, puffins, potatoes and few fresh vegetables....
.
At the "Fljótt og Gott" ("Fast and Good") caféteria at the BSÍ
BSI
BSI is a three letter acronym that can stand for:* Backside illumination, a type of digital image sensor* The Baker Street Irregulars, a fictional group featured in Sherlock Holmes stories* Banca della Svizzera Italiana* Bentley Systems Inc....
bus terminal in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, it is available daily, and can be bought at the drive-thru counter
Drive-through
A drive-through, or drive-thru, is a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1930s but has since spread to other countries. The first recorded use of a bank using a drive...
. The café sells about 10,000 sheep's heads a year, according to its chef.
When eating svið, the ears are sometimes considered taboo due to the superstitious belief that when they (bearing the mark of the animal's owner) are removed, the eater will be accused of theft. It is sometimes held that if the little bone underneath the tongue is not broken, a child that cannot yet speak will remain silent forever. Many Icelanders consider the eye to be the best part of the head.
Lara Weber, writing in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, described her experience of eating svið in a 1995 article on Icelandic cuisine:
Preparation
Svið is prepared by first burning off the hair, then cleaning the head under running cold water while paying special attention to the eyes and ears. The head must then be sawn in half lengthwise and the brain removed; if it is frozen first, this is less messy. The brains can be cooked with the skin. When it is ready for cooking, it is put into a cooking pot, sprinkled with coarse salt and partly covered with water. When the water boils, the scum is skimmed off. The head can then be cooked covered for 60 to 90 minutes, until the flesh is cooked through but before it has begun to separate from the bone. It can then be served immediately, hot, or can be left to cool down so that it can be served cold.External links
- Preparation and consumption of svið (video)
- One man's account of his first time eating Svið (from the Reykjavík Grapevine)