Christmas Market · Sheep's Head
Smalahove
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The whole sheep's head — eye and all — is smoked, salted, and boiled, and eating the eye is considered a mark of respect for the animal in Voss tradition.
A sheep's head is salted, smoked, and dried, then boiled or steamed for hours until the meat falls tender. It's served whole on the plate with mashed rutabaga and potatoes, traditionally around Christmas and at Voss-area food fairs and markets.
Why it's made this way: In lean farming communities in Western Norway, no part of the slaughtered sheep went to waste, and the head — usually discarded elsewhere — became its own festive dish.
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