Sheep`s head is called Smalahove in norwegian
At Smalahovetunet in Voss in Norway you can get a tour in the production as part of your dinner experience. Its like walking inside a modern art installation, both macabre and fascinating.
Ivar Løne welcomes us with home made brew and show us the way to the stabbur, a special norwegian storehouse, where we together with danish friends are going to have sheep`s head for the first time. We have heard horror stories about eyes staring at you and grass between the teeth of the food we now are about to consume. But even if this delicacy don`t look like anything served in a french restaurant and hardly can be seen as tempting, the tasting experience was great. Dont be fooled bye its repulsive look – it taste delicious. Together with bier and acevitt a strong nib, we are enjoying the food. We are a happy bunch when we later get the tour through the production areas.
For most people i assume its a good thing that this tour is arranged after the dinner. Here they demonstrate how they burn away the wool from the sheep`s head. The head is clamped in a very artistic facility. Ivar tells us that most of the machines are so specialized that he had to ask a local artist to make them. Maybe it is the artistic aspect that fascinate us so much? It reminds me of some apart art installation. This is not a negative association, actually it was a great experience and it inspired me to do a photo collage later when I participated in an exhibition in Fredrikstad, my home town.
Smalahovetunet at Voss ia warmly recommended.
