On a cold and dark autumn evening, the Trir Frakkar restaurant in Reykjavik is packed with groups of mainly foreign diners pondering whether to opt for the fish course or go for something a bit more beefy.
"We had the smoked puffin and whale sashimi. Good choice," says a North American tourist. "How many people do you know who can say they've eaten puffin and whale?"
When Iceland resumed whaling after a 14-year break in August, environmentalists warned tourists to shun the country.
But some tourists really don't mind that the North Atlantic nation offering popular whale-watching tours also serves the massive sea mammal on a plate.
"We sell most of our whale meat to tourists," said Tyrfingur Tyrfingsson, chef and owner of the popular Humarhusid or "lobster house" restaurant in central Reykjavik.
"We had a couple here, Americans. The man wanted to try whale but the wife said she would divorce him if he did. And she really meant it," Tyrfingsson said.
He said he had put whale on the menu whenever any was available over the past 14 years when Iceland abided by an international moratorium on whaling.
Then, the fresh meat was sourced from animals that occasionally washed ashore or became tangled in fishing nets.
Tender tail
Humarhusid's tender whale sashimi -- raw meat served the Japanese way with wasabi horseradish and soy sauce -- is made from a minke whale caught in a fishing net a few months ago.
"The tail meat is good for sashimi," Tyrfingsson said, but added that his restaurant bought the meat in big lumps of 6kg to 8kg and did not know what part of the animal they were.
At Trir Frakkar, one fin whale has fed around 150,000 people since it was put in the freezer in 1989.
"Eighty percent of them are tourists from the US, the UK, France and Germany. Japanese tourists come and eat whale sashimi, and after that the whale steak, and after that whale sashimi again for dessert," said chef Ulfar Eysteinsson.
The Japanese, who have a tradition of eating whale, prefer fin whale -- the second-biggest after the blue whale -- to the minke, said Eysteinsson, who runs Trir Frakkar.
The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, saying seven out of the 13 great whale species were endangered. Iceland bowed to international pressure three years later and docked its whaling ships.
This summer, however, it said it would restart scientific whaling to study the impact of whales on the ecosystem, especially fish stocks which are crucial to the economy.
Iceland says there are 70,000 minkes in the north Atlantic ocean and that the species is far from endangered.
This year's catch will be 38 minkes, and after that Iceland hopes to take out 100 minkes, 100 fin whales and 50 sei whales annually. The latter two are considered endangered species.
Environmental groups expressed outrage at Iceland's plans, saying the country really wants the catch for the meat, not for research purposes.
Although three quarters of Icelanders support resuming whaling, according to opinion polls, many teenagers have never tasted whale meat. Only a few restaurants serve it, and it is not easy to find in supermarkets.
Lost generation
Tyrfingsson said his daughter Svava, nine, has never tried it. "I don't think the kids would like it," he said.
Eysteinsson's grandchildren, however, like the taste.
"We have a generation which has not eaten whale meat," the chef said. "People used to eat whale three days a week, fish three days a week, and lamb on Sunday."
He has promoted the meat in local media and is launching a recipe book this month in Iceland, Norway and Denmark. Whale meat oxydises quickly when it is exposed to the air, turning dark and developing a strong smell.
This was probably the kind of meat many Icelanders remember from their childhood, when whale was a cheap staple food, and that's why they don't care for it now, Tyrfingsson said.
"We used to have whale at home 20 years ago. But it was only mum and dad who ate it," said 37-year-old Thorbjorg Snorradottir, who works at a petrol station in Reydarfjordur in eastern Iceland. "It's not very good, it's very dry meat."
Tyrfingsson said he has a friend who owns a whale-watching boat and he said he was worried what impact whale hunting would have on his business.
"I think we are jeopardizing a lot by doing it, and not gaining anything with it," Tyrfingsson said. "If you get it, you put it on the menu. But it's no issue for us."
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
RSS