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  • I've still got lots to learn, so I'm off to try a traditional Christmas dish that I hear tastes much better than it smells.

  • Now, trust me, I want to get the best of Christopher, and I'm up here to meet two guys who make this amazing delicacy that can only be found here.

  • First of all, I'm excited to see and taste this incredible delicacy that is rockfish.

  • Rakfisk.

  • Rakfisk.

  • - Fisk. - Fisk. Rakfisk.

  • - Rakfisk. - Rakfisk.

  • - Rockfish, no. Rakfisk. - Rakfisk.

  • OK.

  • After what seems like hours are saying the same thing back and forth, he and his nephew Magnus show me how they make the crown jewel of their family businessfermented fish.

  • - What's a smell. Very strong. Is that normal, that strong? - Yeah.

  • Trouts, and what is that one there?

  • This is Arctic char.

  • Arctic char. And how long do you cure it for?

  • It's in for three months.

  • Bloody hell.

  • - So you pack it with salt. And then... - Sugar as well.

  • Sugar.

  • - So it cures it. - Yeah, exactly.

  • And how old is this method?

  • Dates back to the Viking age. Now it's more popular than ever.

  • Shall we?

  • First, you put salt in the belly, like this, and you just put them in the bucket.

  • And then is heads, tails, heads, tails all the way through.

  • - Opposite. - Yeah.

  • - And you build. - Exactly.

  • Sounds pretty straightforward, or so I thought.

  • But the rakfisk master is not impressed.

  • - Too much? - Too much.

  • - Too much. - Less.

  • - Less salt. How's that one, uncle? - Ah, good.

  • Good?

  • Thank god for that.

  • I've never seen this method before like this.

  • It's only here in the (places in Norway).

  • - So it literally is indigenous to this area. - It is.

  • We're very proud.

  • It's very popular, especially around Christmas.

  • Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Little more!

  • Little more.

  • You have to use your wrist.

  • Nei, nei, nei, nei. Salt.

  • That's it?

  • Perfect.

  • Man, your uncle is amazing. Do you ever upset him?

  • - Yeah, a lot of times. - Yeah.

  • It's better. Good.

  • Good. Better. He's happy now.

  • He's been a little bit tough on me.

  • Yeah, have been with me for 10 years as well.

  • He's a proper Viking.

  • - I'm dying to taste it. - Perfect. - Oh, there it is there.

  • Yeah. It's strong.

  • It's this cross between a sort of cured salmon but with a Vacherin cheese. It was so strong, very acidic.

  • - Yeah. - This is not very strong.

  • - That's not very strong? - No.

  • Let's try a stronger one.

  • No, stop it.

  • - Let's try it. - Really?

  • - Yeah. - Stronger than that?

  • Let's try our special Christmas batch.

  • Bloody hell.

  • I'm worried that special, in this case, is not a good thing.

  • So what's special about this batch?

  • We have had it in the barrel for a longer amount of time.

  • Now, oh my God, the smell of that. Bloody hell.

  • It doesn't look very appetizing.

  • The smell gets stronger the farther down the bucket you go.

  • Bloody hell. Seriously.

  • Oh my God.

  • It is sticky as...[bleep]

  • You don't eat this, do you?

  • Oh my god.

  • - You like that smell? - Yeah.

  • Oh, no.

  • [bleep] No.

  • Look at the juice.

  • The color of the juice.

  • That's right texture.

  • Can you cut that, please?

  • Is this a joke?

  • Oh my lord.

  • Oh my god.

  • It's like putty.

  • Why is this so... a special rare delicacy when it stinks?

  • You should not think about the smell. It's the flavor.

  • Don't!

  • No, no, no.

  • That's right texture.

I've still got lots to learn, so I'm off to try a traditional Christmas dish that I hear tastes much better than it smells.

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