Smalahove

Knife and fork at the ready; you are ready to tuck into the signature dish of Voss - Smalahove. On the plate in front of you, you will find smiling up at you a half burnt sheep’s head, eyes, teeth and tongue still intact. So to start - put your fork right under the eye and eat your way down to the teeth and jaw, finish by cutting up the eye and removing the eye muscle, which according to food enthusiasts is the best part. In Vestlandet it is said somewhat jokingly that there are almost as many sheep as people here, sheep have been a part of the livestock here for 4500 years and there are about 900 000 lambs born every year. Smalahove became a part of the diet a few hundred years ago, when a lack of food forced better use of the whole animal. Smalahove was at first an everyday dish, but it is now considered a delicacy to be eaten at celebrations. Every Christmas thousands of Norwegians consume this delicacy, often serving it with potatoes and mashed turnips. It is best enjoyed with a glass of aquavit, the Norwegian spirit made from potatoes and a glass of dark beer.