h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is it true that Icelanders regularly dig up the rotting shark and urinate on it?

PLEASE tell me that you're joking! If not ... no. Just no.

Hi Jayne

I did see a short reference to this practice on TV a few years ago, but I'd need to research it more fully to convince myself it was true.

I'll have a quick search and post back here if I find anything.

This site asserts it's true (or at least used to be):

http://tutta-musings.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/icelandic-food-singed-and-rotten.html

"Icelanders used to bury sharks in sand for a few months to allow rotting to break down the acids. They helped along this process by urinating on the buried shark. Thankfully, these days there's no need to urinate on it anymore (you can get ammonia in a less disgusting way) and shark is not being buried but closed in vats. But it still is... well, rotten. And soaked in ammonia."