How to prepare a sheep's head

People in Iceland will eat just about anything. It's deep rooted in the culture to use every resource they've got, from the geothermal blessing under their cold, barren earth to any fish or animal hardy enough to share their country with them.

This spirit is encapsulated nowhere better than in Svið, one of the nation's favourite dishes. When a ewe is finally beyond all functionality, when it can mother no more young and squeezed its last drops of milk, then there's only one thing it can provide - dinner.

They cut off its head, split it down the middle, scoop out the brains and stick the two halves in the freezer, and if you go rummaging around the chiller in a supermarket or even a local petrol station, that's exactly what you'll see - 10 or 20 frozen demi-skulls staring back at you with just the one eye. Look a little closer and you'll see lips, teeth and ear all still attached. In fact, the sheep will be in perfect order - aside the missing body and permanent lack of life - except for its hair.

Svið is the Icelandic world for "singed" and describes the moment when the freshly detached noggin is set to lightly with a blow torch to remove any remnants of wool that might otherwise get stuck in your teeth.

At this point, I should mention that although a delicacy, Svið is by no means an elitist meal nor one that's traditional in name but rarley seen. The average Icelander will eat Svið on a regular basis and they'll look forward to it when coming home from a long stay abroad. When you next meet someone from this part of the world, just ask them to describe the meal to you and watch them disappear into a dreamlike trance.

Pretty quickly after that conversation they'll head to the nearest shop, pluck a Svið out from the freezer and hurry back to their kitchen, most likely with a bag of potatoes and perhaps some red cabbage too.

Next chuck the head in the sink with the hot water running and take as much time as you can peeling the spuds and chopping the cabbage while it thaws. Hit the burners and boil it all "until it's done" as a friendly native described to me. Not sure what a "done" half sheep's head looks like but I'll have to presume I'll one when we see it. Finally, serve it all up with lashings of hot lamb dripping - another local speciality.

I'm told the tastiest part is the cheek muscle - so good that if served up to anyone they'd think it was an amazing cut of meat - but the eye might be best avoided. You can tell a real Icelander by the extent to which they go at the Svið. Sit there sucking on the teeth and you'll be in their hearts forever.

If you want to see what it all looks like, go and watch a film called Jar City. There's a pretty bear, bone-crunching account of such a meal and, if that puts you off, I wouldn't blame you. I've got three days left in Iceland and I've yet to try Svið. Between you and me, I'm not sure I will. But, if I do, if I can guird my loins and my stomach for that experience, then I promise you'll be the first to know. Wish me luck.