Smalahove (also called smalehovud, sau(d)ehau(d) or skjelte) is a Western Norway traditional dish made from a sheep's head, originally eaten before Christmas.
Traditional consumption
One serving usually consists of one half of a head. The ear and eye are normally eaten first, as they are the fattiest areas and are best eaten warm.
The head is often eaten from the front to the back, working around the bones of the skull.
Legality
Since 1998 and the
mad cow epidemics, an
EU directive forbids the production of
smalahove from adult sheep,
due to fear of the possibility of transmission of
scrapie, a deadly, degenerative
prion disease of sheep and
goats, though scrapie does not appear to be transmissible to
. It is now allowed to be produced only from the heads of lambs.
Tourism
Smalahove is considered by most people to be unappealing or even repulsive.
It is enjoyed mostly by enthusiasts, and is often served to
. Because of its status as an "extreme" food, tourists often seek it out as a thrill. Voss,
Norway, in particular has benefited from tourists wishing to try it, "not only as a nostalgic and authentic rural dish, but also as a challenging culinary trophy appealing to thrill-seeking consumers."
See also
