On day three of our trip through the Southern Coast of Iceland, we started out the day with a food tasting of the most interesting a cultural relevant dishes and snacks of the country. Now, unfortunately, I was unable to try them myself, but I did get to watch my peers’ reactions to eating things like fermented shark and sheep’s brain in gelatin, and that fed me just the same. It was also interesting to hear about how some of these dishes came to be in the first place. There is a long process that has to be completed to make the Greenland Shark safe enough to consume due to all of the urea that exists in its body, so it can survive at the depths of the ocean. Based on some of my classmates’ reactions, I am not sure it is worth it, but I do support leaving nothing to waste.
After the tasting, we went to the hydroponic greenhouse where they grow multitudes of tomatoes. The owner of the farm gave us an extensive tour of the greenhouse and in-depth explanations of how it all works. It was an enlightening experience to see how farming can be more sustainable while also yielding a higher-quality end product. The tomatoes and tomato soup might have been the best I’ve ever had in my life, and I say that as someone who eats them almost every day. Then, to end the visit, we were able to stop by and pet some of their Icelandic horses (WHICH ARE NOT PONIES!!! I was told that is a very important distinction). I do feel like I spiritually connected with one of the horses as it let me pet behind its ears.
Swanson School of Engineering 