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The Ark of Taste: Faroese Wind Cured Mutton

Skerpikjøt is a wind-dried, fermented mutton produced in the remote North Atlantic archipelago of the Faroe Islands. The curing takes place in a hjallur, a built outhouse that allows wind air flow to aid the drying of the meat. The hind legs and the saddle of the mutton are hung out to dry in October, a couple of months later the less meaty parts are cut down and then in April the legs are finally brought in and the meat is ready to eat. Before it becomes Skerpikjøt, the mutton goes through two other stages (visnaður and ræstur) which describe the rate of fermentation and are important in determining the final, strong and distinctive flavour of the meat.

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7 minutes