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Comment by perihelions | Hacker News Reader

Yes, but

- "The meat of the Greenland shark is poisonous when fresh because of its high urea and trimethylamine oxide content. However, when properly processed, it may be consumed safely.[3][4] "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hákarl

The reaction quotes are intriguing,

"That's hardcore. That's serious food. You don't want to mess with that. That's not for beginners." · "awful", "like a jellied cube of ammonia" albeit "technically edible" · "reminiscent of "blue cheese but a hundred times stronger" · "like chewing a urine-infested mattress"

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I’ve had it and it doesn’t taste that bad. If you don’t mind blue cheese, it’s not that much worse.

It smells like cleaning fluid from under your sink cabinet though. That’s the main issue.

I've had it as well, and it made me wretch just to smell it. It smelled like ammonia mixed with rotting fish (because that's exactly what it is). I did get a piece down, and you're right, the taste wasn't as bad. But yeah... all set with that now.

I have also had it and it tastes like drain cleaner with the texture of angry spam. Only a third of a bottle of Brennivin made the whole experience even remotely enjoyable.

Something about the phrase "angry spam" makes me chuckle maniacally.

As far as I can tell, the descriptions in your first and second paragraphs are in stark conflict.

I do love me some cheeses with some stank.

Your comment has made me want to try it. In your telling, it is probably a similar level of challenge as Natto:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natt%C5%8D

Natto is way more palatable. I like to eat natto and I buy it from a grocery store in the states in frozen styrofoam packs of three. I’m not Japanese but I liked it when this hotel in Japan offered it at breakfast.

Apparently commercial natto doesn’t really smell that bad because they figured out how to reduce it. If you enjoy smelly cheese, natto is comparable. Taste-wise, it’s meaty and takes soy sauce well and pairs well with rice. The slime isn’t great but kind of disappears into the rice.

I’ve heard traditional Natto is worse but I haven’t had it. Even in Japan, the natto I got was commercial. You can get natto at Denny’s Japan.

That said, I did have one friend that couldn’t stand the smell at all. Most friends that I’ve offered it to are mostly put off by the slime. They look like slimey spider eggs.

I have observed it stinks less now than when I first encountered it decades ago. I am unsure the provenance of the stuff I first tried, but you could immediately smell it from across the room once the package was opened.

What if you love blue cheese. I freaking love blue cheese.

Somewhere there's a video of some Youtubers who are relevant in another niche eating that as part of a trip to Iceland. The Icelandic guy hosting them isn't a fan but eats it. The second guy tries it and hates it. The guy who was a connoisseur of french stuff says "it's like a good stinky french cheese" and asks for more.

Natto/Hakarl/Haggis face-off.

Haggis isn’t bad if nobody tells you what’s in it. I thought it was some kind of Scottish Hamburger Helper.

Surströmming: hold my beer

what does hold my beer mean? I can guess it's an idiom, and can obviously google, but it is more fun to ask here.

I would explain it to you, but I’m holding this beer I’m drinking…

here, lemme hold that beer while you explain, and I'll drink it off for you. fair exchange ;)

does your vision get reversed after drinking?

q coz of ur username.

just sayin ;)

Joke: What are a redneck’s last words? Answer: “Hold my beer and watch this!”

(Where “redneck” is cultural slang for working class, uneducated man, or at least one with poor impulse control).

In common use, the (and watch this) is left unsaid and implied. I.e. the speaker is really excited to immediately do something that's a terrible idea, without even stopping to explain.

"How the heck are we going to get the alligator out of the pool?"

"Hold my beer..."

rednecks rush in where angels fear to tread.

Other terms from English:

Country bumpkin

Hillbilly

Hick

Clodhopper

Ah yes, that most well-known Icelandic innovation...

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