Snapshots from Iceland: Grilled Whale from Saegreifinn
I visited Iceland from April 18 to 24. Although this sparsely populated country may not be known for its cuisine, there was plenty of interesting food to report on. This will be my final shapshot; the rest are here.
Saegreifinn, or Sea Baron, is known for their lobster stew, but this fish shack also offers a wide variety of grilled seafood-on-sticks. With the help of four friends, I got to try seven different skewers, our most unique choice being the minke whale. Considering its appearance and flavor, I'd call it the Beef of the Sea. The flavor is similar to steak with a slightly funky fish flavor, while the texture is softer than beef and has finer muscle fibers. If you like gamey meat, you'll probably like whale. It's not something I'd want to eat all the time (not that steak fits that profile either), but I'd go for it again if I return to Iceland.
Saegreifinn (Sea Baron)
Geirsgata 8; 101 Reykjavik, Iceland (map)
354-553-1500
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15 Comments:
Awesome. I've always wanted to try whale in whatever preparation. Glad you did. *envy* One of these days...
Cassaendra at 6:54PM on 05/03/09
An excellent description of whale. My now-Norwegian DSD has fed us all kinds of things like whale and reindeer, and whale is difficult to explain. You did well.
lemons at 8:59PM on 05/03/09
Mmmmm Mercury.
Monkey4Sale at 9:12PM on 05/03/09
Whoa. Whale? That'd fascinating and sorta sad all at the same time. Was it similar to Swordfish?
Love, Gimmeyummy
thatjamiegirl8 at 9:17PM on 05/03/09
I actually had some very poor tasting whale at Saegreifinn, oily and dry, just foul.
I buy my whale at the Kolaportid flea market, it's cheap and tastes fantastic. I tend to eat it raw, sashimi style with soy and wasabi.
The taste is like Robyn says, beefy with a hint of sea, if that makes any sense. But that's only when it's fresh, it tastes like steak dipped in cod liver oil however if it's not fresh.
swarez at 9:43PM on 05/03/09
I guess I'm not such a serious eater after all... I don't think I could choke down whale.
mangabanga at 10:07PM on 05/03/09
I have tried both minke and beluge whale. There is no comparison between the two, minke is hands down the winner for taste and texture. Beluge is very strong in taste and way too fishy.
Arcticsushi at 10:41PM on 05/03/09
@thatjamiegirl8: I can't recall what swordfish tastes like, but unless swordfish tastes like beef I'd think probably not.
Robyn Lee at 11:15PM on 05/03/09
I've had whale meat before, but I don't think it's worth eating (well unless I'm starving to death and there is nothing else to eat), because it doesn't taste that great and I got too attached to whales after living in Hawaii :-(
hmw0029 at 11:58PM on 05/03/09
my initial reaction was total revulsion...upon further reflection I'm not sure why I reacted that way. I've never had a whale for a pet.
garth at 3:38AM on 05/04/09
I would never eat whale. Even before I went veg, I would not have eaten whale.
One, I am not convinced that eating whale is sustainable – everyone who reports the health of the minke whale population seems to have a vested interest in doing so (though the opposite perhaps is also true). The whaling industry certainly does not have a good track record. And yes, I know that the minke whale is not considered endangered, though I have read that its population may be well below its previous numbers.
Second, I don't think that whales can be killed humanely. They're too large. As far as I know, whalers still use harpoons that penetrate the whale, then explode within its body. Then the whalers haul the whale onto the ship. I cannot imagine that the whale feels no pain through all of that – especially since there's no way to guarantee an immediate death with harpooning. Yes, whale is about as "free range" as you can get, but I don't think that whales can be killed without undue suffering (as can, perhaps, deer). I would much rather support the whale-watching industry.
I tried to find links, but couldn't find any from non-biased sources. Boo.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Can+whaling+be+sustainable%3F-a0114327227
Sorry to be a downer - no one's a bad person for having eaten whale. It's just not a decision that I would be comfortable making.
KarynMC at 11:23AM on 05/04/09
I agree with Karyn. Of course, this is an emotional issue on both sides, so it is tough to find unbiased sources of data on whale populations. I don't judge people based on what their diets. But when you choose to eat whale (or any other food), I think it's crucial to take its provenance into consideration.
I've always considered Serious Eats an unmatched source for culinary information and exploration. But to run a piece like this without even mentioning the fervent debate about whaling- and the fact that the International Whaling Commission outlawed all commercial whaling in 1986- seems irresponsible at best, and negligent at worst. Isn't it hypocritical to promote shopping for local produce, getting to know your farmers at the market, etc., and then ignore the decades of history on this issue?
teaspotnyc at 2:47PM on 05/04/09
Yeah, sorry, I know it's an emotional issue... but this is pretty appalling. Really seriously unimpressed.
leilah at 1:08AM on 05/05/09
@teaspotnyc: I'm sorry that my post is unacceptable for you. To me, a discussion about whaling is beyond the scope of what a "Snapshots from Iceland" post is (not to say that such a post isn't warranted), which I thought of as short, simple posts about unique things I ate/saw in Iceland. Judging from the comments on this post though, it was the wrong thing to choose though because it's not that simple.
Robyn Lee at 11:59AM on 05/05/09
The best whale you get in Iceland is sold in the supermarket. It's marinated and thinly sliced and you pop it on the grill for like 2 minutes each side and you've got yourself a nice meal. Tastes like beef but with more complex flavour, like Robyn noted before, a little gamey. Also, try whale carpaccio, it's brilliant if it's done just right.
Bear Wanoga at 10:50AM on 11/06/09