Svið

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Svið is an unusual and unique dish from Iceland consisting of singed, halved, and cooked sheep's head. The head is then cooked in an open fire (in order to remove the fur) and consumed. The dish is traditionally served with a side of mashed turnips, rhubarb jelly, and mashed potatoes, especially during the traditional Icelandic mid-winter festival known as Þorrablót . Originally, the dish was invented at a time when people could not let any part of meat go to waste. Although svið has a reputation of being really tasty, some may find it strange to literally look their food in the eye.