Rabarbara hvannasalt

Rhubarb angelica salt

Ingredients

150 g coarse sea salt
2 tsp rhubarb juice
1 tsp dried rhubarb
2 tsp dried angelica stems


Preparation

Chop the dried rhubarb and the dried angelica into small pieces and grind them further with a mortar.

Marinate the sea salt with the rhubarb juice, then stir in the remaining, finely ground ingredients.

Spread the mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and let it dry thoroughly in the oven at approx. 125 °F (50 °C) for around 5 to 6 hours.

Then let it cool down, crush it further with a mortar and then bottle the finished salt.

The rhubarb angelica salt has a relatively intense taste and smell, especially due to the slightly bittersweet angelica. The salt goes particularly well with spicy fish dishes.

Angelica is widespread in Iceland under the name "hvönn", and in some cases it grows more than man-high. In ancient times in Iceland, angelica was widely cut, dried and used as food and medicine.

Angelica also plays a special role in the “Fóstbrœðra saga”, the “Sworn Brothers Saga” from the 13th century. In one scene from this legend, the two sworn brothers Þorgeirr and Þormóðr go to cut angelica on a remote cliff in the Westfjords near Hornstrandir . The ground beneath Þorgeirr's feet suddenly collapses; he can barely hold on to a few angelica stems and dangles over the abyss. He dangles there, too proud to call for help, and at some point Þormóðr misses him. When he calls for Þorgeirr, he tells him that he has enough angelica when it comes from the earth he is currently pulling. Eventually Þormóðr realizes what has happened and is able to save Þorgeirr just in time.

Angelica at Skógafoss

[Translated from here.]