As fans of his travel shows No Reservations and A Cook’s Tour are well aware, Anthony Bourdain has eaten a lot of really gross stuff during his visits to dozens of countries around the world. But the one foodstuff that he has described as “the single worst, most disgusting and terrible tasting thing” he has ever eaten is the traditional Icelandic dish hákarl, or fermented shark. Apparently having a very strong aroma and flavour of ammonia, hákarl also caused chef Gordon Ramsay to vomit on his UK program The F-Word. Yum!

Rotten shark meat aside, Iceland also has some really tasty traditional foods, and Torontonians will be able enjoy some of them next week during the Taste Of Iceland festival (March 10-16). Icelandic chef Hákon Örvarsson (pictured) has collaborated with the Drake Hotel’s Anthony Rose and Bier Markt’s Michael Cipollo to create tasting menus featuring such delicacies as pickled herring, shredded salt cod soup, salmon gravlax, and an Icelandic spin on grilled Ontario lamb. The festival will also feature musical performances, film screenings, and more.

The full list of happenings for the next week follows below, and as always, our Events page has more information on these and many other upcoming events in Toronto and area.

Friday March 7th

• Global Wine Tour: Greece & Portugal - The Fine Wine Reserve, King Street West and Spadina Avenue
• The British Isles Show [runs until Mar 9] - Queen Elizabeth Building, Exhibition Place

Saturday March 8th

• Hannah Glasse: Tribute to a Remarkable Cookbook Author - Fort York, 100 Garrison Road

Sunday March 9th

• Second Helping: Connecting to the Community Through Foodshare - Foodshare, 90 Croatia Street
• Cast-Iron Chef Workshop: A Whiter Shade of Pale - Cakes and Puddings in the Victorian Kitchen - Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum & Arts Centre, 67 Pottery Road

Monday March 10th

• A Taste of Iceland [runs until Mar 16] - various locations

Tuesday March 11th

• Amo Amarone - Toronto Board of Trade, First Canadian Place (Adelaide & Bay)

Thursday March 13th

• It’s Gouda Time - Vineyards Estate Wines, 228 Queens Quay West
• Beer School for Cheese Fans: St. Patrick’s Day - Leslieville Cheese Market, 891 Queen Street East
• A Wine Journey Through France - Flight 55 Restaurant & Lounge, 713 College Street