Smalahove – a festive (and extreme) delicacy from Western Norway
Fjords, salmon and brunost are familiar symbols of Norwegian cuisine. But venture deeper into rural Vestland and you will encounter Smalahove – baked sheep's head with potatoes and turnips. For some, it is a gastronomic adventure, for others, a culture shock. We'll tell you how the dish came about, who eats it today, where to try it safely, and how to handle this "extreme" dish so that the experience is nothing but delicious.
Where did Smalahove come from and why sheep's head?
In western Norway, sheep farming was the mainstay of the economy; in winter, any edible meat was highly prized. From the 16th century onwards, heads were salted and smoked to preserve them. In the municipality of Voss, the dish became a festive meal: it was served on the last Sunday before Christmas so that "nothing would go to waste." Today, Smalahove is protected as a regional tradition (Beskyttet Betegnelse) and is prepared by only a few smokehouses.
How is Smalahove prepared in the traditional way?
- The head of a lamb slaughtered in autumn is cut in half down the centre.
- The brain is removed, washed, rubbed with coarse salt and left for 24 hours.
- It is cold-smoked over alder wood for 12 hours, then hung in a barn to dry for 2–3 weeks.
- Before serving, it is soaked for 2 hours, boiled or baked for 2 hours until tender. It is served with jacket potatoes and rutabaga purée (kålrotstappe).
How to eat Smalahove correctly to look like a local?
- Start with the ears: they are considered a delicacy and demonstrate the guest's courage.
- Then remove the eye (the most tender part for gourmets) and eat the tongue.
- The meat from the cheeks and jaw is separated with a fork and dipped in fat.
- Wash it down with juleøl beer or Linie aquavit.
Where can tourists safely try Smalahove?
| Location | Serving days | Format | Price (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smalahovetunet (Voss) | Oct–Dec, Fri–Sun | 2-hour set + tour of the smokehouse | 545 NOK |
| Fleischer’s Hotel (Voss) | November, by reservation | Christmas buffet with half a head | 495 NOK |
| Bryggeloftet & Stuene (Bergen) | December, Tuesdays | "Smalahove-kveld" — tasting + lecture | 525 NOK |
Tip: book at least a week in advance; the number of heads is limited by the slaughter licence.
Is it worth preparing Smalahove at home?
The process requires a fresh head, a smokehouse and 3 weeks of drying at +4...+8 °C, which is difficult to replicate in an apartment. It is wiser to buy a smoked ferdig head in a vacuum pack in Voss or order it online (≈ 250 NOK) and simply boil it. The main thing is to follow the sanitary rules for soaking and heat treatment.
Ethics and modern perception
Canned food and refrigerators have made Smalahove optional, but the residents of Voss preserve the recipe as part of their cultural heritage. The dish is served less frequently, emphasising the "nose-to-tail" principle and respect for the animal. Tourists are advised to treat Smalahove as part of history rather than an extreme attraction: if you are not ready to try it, it is better to stick to photos and the guide's story.
Smalahove is a culinary window into Norway's past, where every part of the animal was valued and harsh conditions were turned into a festive tradition. Try half a smoked head with a glass of aquavit in the cosy Smalahovetunet hall while the first snow covers the hills of Voss outside the window. Even if you decide to stick to just a taste or a story, Smalahove will remind you that true gastronomy is not just about flavours, but also about the stories of the people for whom these flavours mean home.
