A Blurb About Blubber

Native Alaskan cuisine is a reflection of Alaska's rich and unique natural resources. Traditionally, they dine on seal, whale, caribou, walrus, polar bear, arctic hare, fish, and berries. Seals are hunted year round and almost every part of the animal is used. The vitamin-rich blubber is often mixed with meat and berries, providing a critical part of the native diet. 

In years past, there was little fuel available for cooking so most food was eaten raw. Studies have shown that raw meat and fish best meet the body's demands for fat in a cold climate. Preservation of food for the lean months of winter was of utmost importance. Food was dried or smoked. If that was not possible, blubber was in ice cellars–holes dug in the permafrost.

Today, the Native Alaskan diet is a mixture of old and new foods. Children enjoy chewing on raw walrus kidney just as much as a chocolate candy bar. A modern Eskimo meal might consist of dried or smoked fish, reindeer stew, and a dessert of fresh or preserved Arctic berries with sugar and canned milk  topped with seal oil. Bon Appétit!

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