Hangikjöt

"Hangikjöt" (lit. "hung meat") is Icelandic smoked lamb or mutton, usually served boiled in slices, warm or cold, with béchamel sauce, green peas and potatoes, or in thin slices on bread such as "flatkaka" or "rúgbrauð".

There exists a large variety of "hangikjöt". The meat can come from various parts of the sheep, but the most common is the hind legs. What is considered the best quality "hangikjöt" is usually a leg with bone and an adequate layer of fat, but tastes differ with regard to the method of smoking. Traditionally there were two varieties, smoked with birch or dried dung, but in later years both hot smoked and "twice smoked" "hangikjöt" have also been available on the market, the latter usually served raw in a manner similar to the Italian "prosciutto", with melon or in a salad e.g..

"Hangikjöt" is a traditional festive food in Iceland, served at Christmas or on special occasions.