Icelandic Homemakers aren’t happy with offal sales, as the amount of blood and quality of tripe included are lacking, Vísir reports.
Retired farmer Sigríður Hjálmarsdóttir is used to making slátur (Icelandic sausages made with lamb offal) every autumn season but in an interview with Vísir, she expressed disappointment with the quality of ingredients. The offal needed to make slátur is usually bought straight from the producers and each portion includes the liver, heart, kidneys, and head of one sheep, along with some blood and sausage casings.
“It’s been gradually changing. We used to get ¾ litres of blood with every portion of offal, but now we only get a single litre with every three. I‘m not pleased.” In addition to the lack of blood, which is needed to make a blood sausage-style slátur, Sigríður dislikes the synthetic sausage casing sold with the offal today, replacing the more traditional tripe.
According to Purchasing Manager Sólmundur Oddsson at Nóatún, offal sales have been decreasing over the past fifteen years or so. “There is nevertheless a group of people who uphold this wonderful tradition.”
According to Guðmundur Svavarsson at Sláturfélag Suðurlands, Iceland’s largest slaughtering association, the reason behind the decreased amount of blood is that many people do not wish to see the blood. “That’s why we decided to offer people offal without any blood.” Additional blood can be bought separately.
