![Tvost_og_spik](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Tvost_og_spik.jpg)
Tvøst og spik (also called ''Grind og spik'') is a typical dish of the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
, a self-governing country of
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
, located in the North Atlantic. ''Tvøst og spik'' consists of
Pilot Whale
Pilot whales are cetaceans belonging to the genus ''Globicephala''. The two extant species are the long-finned pilot whale (''G. melas'') and the short-finned pilot whale (''G. macrorhynchus''). The two are not readily distinguishable at sea, ...
meat,
blubber and potatoes.
The meat is prepared in different ways, it can be boiled or fried fresh, it can be stored in either dry salt (''turrsaltað'') or in very salty water (''lakasaltað''),
NGS.fo, Grindadráp í Føroyum, page 34 (''in Faroese'')
/ref> it can be frozen and later prepared, or it can be hung up outdoors in order to dry. When it is hung out to dry, it is cut in long slices (''grindalikkja''), and then hung under a roof, to shield it from the rain.
The blubber can also be prepared in different ways, boiled, salted or dried, but not fried. Dried blubber can also be eaten together with dried fish, as shown on the photo. The whale meat has a very dark color, almost black.
The tradition of eating whale meat and blubber dates back many centuries, being first mentioned directly in the Faroese part of the Norwegian Gulating
Gulating ( non, Gulaþing) was one of the first Norwegian legislative assemblies, or '' things,'' and also the name of a present-day law court of western Norway. The practice of periodic regional assemblies predates recorded history, and was ...
-law dating back to 1298. Given the isolation of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, food supplies from other countries were traditionally sparse, forcing the islanders to manage with whatever nature had to offer.
Faroese culinary traditions thus evolved to make heavy use of animal products from households, such sheep, cows, geese, chicken and ducks, and maritime produce, from all kinds of fish and sea birds to, from time to time, whale meat and blubber.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tvost og spik
Faroese cuisine
Whale dishes
Whaling in the Faroe Islands