Whale Meat ....Bergen,Norway

Walking down the Fish market of Bergen Norway, I stumbled upon caviars and gravalaxes offered by the vendors for tasting, hoping that i would be impressed to buy some,

After a tiring afternoon, we wanted to savor nordic cusine on a local restaurant on the bay side,

One rule of thumb I generally observe while traveling abroad: Always know what something is before putting it in your mouth. Recently, I broke that rule...
I ate whale meat.

I ordered a beer and sat down , just as the waitress was bringing out plates of food: generous cuts of gravalax, a sautéed mushroom salad and--what the heck was that? On a plate next to some lettuce leaves and a wedge of tomato were thin-cut strips of stringy red meat.

"Is that corned beef?" I asked, dumbfounded because the Norwegians are not known for eating the deli-sandwich staple. There was even a dab of Dijon mustard on the plate.
"Try it and guess," replied my coworker Douglas, who goes by the nickname Douggie
So I did. The meat was salty and chewy, though a bit tougher than corned beef. There was also a strip of white fat clinging to it. I stuck to my gums--had to be beef.
"Whale," Douggie said.
Startled by the very fact I ate the Biggest Mammal
In the Nordic country, one of only two nations in the world to conduct commercial whaling, eating a slice of whale is as common as eating cod or salmon – even for greens.
Most people here are bemused when you explain that the majority of westerners outside Norway would be horrified at the thought of eating whale meat

Asked to the Waitress Hanna she replied…

“People outside norway get very emotional when it comes to whales, but they don't get emotional about a cod or a chicken. What's the difference?"

As for the taste, I found the Meat had a Irony aroma, was chewy, Had a distinct taste, and Zero fishy smell,

For a Moment, I thought I was consuming a Beef Carpaccio,

The Dijon and the Capers which were thrown as accompaniments had an influence to the taste and made it more appetizing,

Finally, the rule which I broke coz of Douigge, on a Pint of Honey Beer at Estonia is worth and sure will crave for more when we stop at Bergen…Norway,