The traditional smoke comes from burning dried sheep dung rather than wood — a fuel source that was often more available than timber on a largely treeless island.
Leg or shoulder of lamb is salt-cured, then slowly smoked until deeply flavored, and served thinly sliced, hot or cold, alongside white sauce, peas, and pickled red cabbage. South Iceland's sheep farms supply much of the lamb behind this Christmas and Þorrablót centerpiece.
Why it's made this way: Smoking was one of the few reliable ways to preserve meat through Iceland's dark winters before refrigeration, and hangikjöt's link to South Iceland's sheep-farming country is why it remains the centerpiece of the country's Christmas table.
Roughly what's in it
250kcal
26gprotein
0gcarbs
16gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.