Smalahove

This isn't about exotica. It's about where your line runs between food and animal.

The easiest place to find it is Norway in late November or early December: around Voss and Bergen it's a seasonal dish, served in restaurants and sold ready-cooked in supermarkets. Outside Norway, look for a Scandinavian shop or a Norwegian restaurant and ask a week ahead. The head comes whole on the plate with swede mash and potatoes, and yes, it looks back at you. Eat with knife and fork, taking the meat off the cheek and around the jaw — that's where most of it is and where it's softest. Tradition says the eye and the ear go first; if you're up for it, start there, and if not, at least try the tongue. It's drunk with aquavit or beer, in small sips between bites.

What actually stopped you — the taste, or the face on the plate?