Hangikjöt (; lit. "hung meat") is a
traditional festive food in Iceland, served at
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
.
Etymology and history
This
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
ic
smoked lamb,
mutton, or
horse meat is usually boiled and served either hot or cold in slices, traditionally with potatoes in
béchamel sauce and green
peas, or in thin slices on
bread
Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...
such as ''
flatkaka'' or ''
rúgbrauð'' or ''
laufabrauð''. It takes its name from the old tradition of smoking food in order to preserve it by hanging it from the rafters of a smoking shed.
Sometimes, bits of string are present in the meat, having been tied around the meat to compress it and hold it together as it is being smoked; the strings are not eaten.
There are several types of hangikjöt. The meat can come from various parts of the
sheep, but the most common is the hind legs. A whole leg on the bone, with an adequate layer of fat, is by many considered the best of all, although others prefer the convenience of a boned roll of meat or want most of the fat trimmed off.
Commercial form
In recent years other types have become available, such as ''tvíreykt'' ("twice smoked") hangikjöt, i.e. lamb or mutton that has been smoked for a longer period of time and is more like the old country hangikjöt which often hung high above the kitchen fire for many months. This is usually served raw in thin slices, sometimes in a manner similar to the Italian ''
prosciutto'', with
melon. Modern commercial hangikjöt is usually fairly lightly smoked. The two main types are either smoked with Icelandic
birch or with dried sheep
dung.
A recent survey established that around 90% of all Icelanders eat hangikjöt at least once over the holidays.
Icelandic cuisine
Iceland TV. Retrieved 27 November 2013
Smoked mutton is known as macon in the UK, but is not common.
See also
* List of lamb dishes
* List of smoked foods
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hangikjot
Icelandic cuisine
Lamb dishes
Christmas food
Smoked meat
Christmas in Iceland