Hangikjöt
Encyclopedia
Hangikjöt (ˈhaɲcɪcœt; lit. "hung meat") is Iceland
ic smoked lamb or mutton, usually boiled and served either hot or cold in slices, traditionally with potatoes in béchamel sauce and green pea
s, or in thin slices on bread
such as flatkaka
or rúgbrauð
.
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. Modern commercial hangikjöt is usually fairly lightly smoked. The two main types are either smoked with Icelandic birch
or with dried sheep dung
. 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
.
Hangikjöt is a traditional festive food in Iceland, served at Christmas
(sometimes with laufabrauð
) or on special occasions. A recent survey established that around 90% of all Icelanders eat hangikjöt at least once over the holidays.
Smoked Mutton was known as Macon
in the UK, but is not common.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic smoked lamb or mutton, usually boiled and served either hot or cold in slices, traditionally with potatoes in béchamel sauce and green pea
Pea
A pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the pod fruit Pisum sativum. Each pod contains several peas. Peapods are botanically a fruit, since they contain seeds developed from the ovary of a flower. However, peas are considered to be a vegetable in cooking...
s, or in thin slices on bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
such as flatkaka
Flatkaka
Flatkaka or flatbrauð is an Icelandic unleavened rye flatbread. Flatkaka is soft, round, thin and dark with a characteristic pattern from the pan...
or rúgbrauð
Rúgbrauð
Rúgbrauð is an Icelandic straight rye bread, dark and dense, usually rather sweet, traditionally baked in a pot or steamed in special wooden casks by burying it in the ground near a hot spring. Modern rúgbrauð is usually made in a square baking pan. The bread is crustless, dark and very dense and...
.
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. Modern commercial hangikjöt is usually fairly lightly smoked. The two main types are either smoked with Icelandic birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
or with dried sheep dung
Feces
Feces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
. 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
Prosciutto
Prosciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto....
, with melon
Melon
thumb|200px|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit...
.
Hangikjöt is a traditional festive food in Iceland, served at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
(sometimes with laufabrauð
Laufabrauð
Laufabrauð is a traditional kind of Icelandic bread that is most often eaten in the Christmas season. Originating from northern Iceland but now eaten throughout the entire country, it consists of round, very thin flat cakes with a diameter of about 15 to 20 cm , decorated with leaf-like, geometric...
) or on special occasions. A recent survey established that around 90% of all Icelanders eat hangikjöt at least once over the holidays.
Smoked Mutton was known as Macon
Macon (food)
Macon is a food item that is prepared from mutton . Macon would be prepared in a similar manner to bacon, with the meat being cured by soaking it in large quantities of salt or by soaking the meat in brine....
in the UK, but is not common.