native food

My first taste of native food was dry fish ("DRY-fish") my second week here.  This was smoked in the traditional fashion, salmon I think, and you peel it away from the skin to eat it.  Maybe the hardcore eat the skin; I don't know.  It was greasy and chewy and delicious, reminded me of jerky without the salt, although apparently some people do salt their dry fish.  It was seriously yummy.

My next taste of native food was not so yummy.  Eskimo salad, a gift from one of my aides, Leandra, who got it from a relative.  Apparently, this is a dish from the coast that most people around here haven't even had, so I once again felt very privileged to be given some.  It consists of dried seal, dried walrus, dried black whale, and some kind of dried fish, all cut into little laces half the thickness of a french fry and tossed in seal oil.  It was too much for me; I managed to finish the bite I took, then gave the rest to Daisy (an Americorps volunteer who works with the middle school kids) who enjoyed it thoroughly.  To me, it had the aroma and flavor of rotting fish, the texture and consistency of strips of cartilage.  Still, I chewed it up as best I could and swallowed it.  And the next time I'm offered traditional food, I will be honored, and I will try it.