Xmas surprises

Rotten bird flesh is probably not on your list of Christmas treats to eat at this time of year, but each to their own. In Greenland, Kiviak is a special Eskimo delicacy made from the flesh of the Auk seabird. The bird is wrapped whole in oily seal skin then buried under a stone for seven months to reach the far stages of decomposition and fermentation. The Kiviak is then dug up to be eaten, but it gets worse. The juices are sucked out of the bird from its bottom (nice), or collected for a sauce (Fantastic). It supposedly has the smell and taste of pungent cheese.
View a Japanese cartoon on the lesson of Kiviak here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR3sGgc_BNE
According to Foodlorist http://foodlorists.blogspot.com/2008/12/kiviak.html,
…There is nothing disgusting in this dish. Throughout food history, foods have been stored that way. The Romans and Greeks used to produce a concentrated flavour liqueur called Garum or Liquamen, from fish innards and other parts that would not be used otherwise by salting them.
Perhaps is best to void Greenland at Christmas.
Information and image from http://www.culinaryschools.org/blog/kiviak-greenland-inuit-fermented-seal-dish/
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