What Do People Eat In The European Arctic?

The Arctic Circle, located in the Earth's northern hemisphere, is known for many things, including beautiful frozen glaciers and untamed wilds, as well as wallowing seals and muscular polar bears.
One thing that many people overlook is the cuisine that is unique to this region. There is, however, no better way to acquire insight into the everyday lives of those who live here than to learn about some of the cuisine consumed by the locals.


Here are some of the meals consumed in the Arctic.

Lots and Lots of Meat

It should come as no surprise that hardly many fruits and vegetables can be produced effectively in freezing Arctic conditions. As a result, people in this portion of the world must rely on alternative food sources. That is why meat is so important in Arctic cuisine, with reindeer, sheep, and snow hares among the most popular meats. While Arctic people used to kill and eat polar bears, Norway has prohibited this practice since 1973.

Zaiburikha

This unpronounceable name refers to a food that is somewhere between fish stew and soup. Zaiburikha is a typical dish from the Pomor cuisine. It's boiling fish (usually cod) with potatoes, carrots, onions, and occasionally broth. It's on the menu at the Teribersky Bereg tourism complex on the Barents Sea coast, and it's also available as street cuisine at Murmansk festivals. This is a highly northern dish that keeps you warm in chilly times.

Herbs and Berries

To counteract the negative health impacts of eating mainly meat, people in the Arctic tend to incorporate a lot of herbs and berries in their cuisine. This is especially true during the summer, when residents may discover and harvest an abundance of tasty berries, including bilberries and cloudberries.
This also helps them to eat a lot of vitamins that they are losing out on owing to the gloomy and often harsh winter circumstances that keep them home for extended periods of time in the Arctic.

Akutuq and Greenlandic suaasat 

Akutuq is an Alaskan dessert that is similar to ice cream. It's a whipped concoction of snow, berries, and seal oil (or fish oil or reindeer, bear or muskox fat depending on what you have to hand). Greenlandic suaasat is a substantial and warming soup composed of potato, onion, and the meat of seabirds, seals, reindeer, or whales. 

Deer Stroganoff

The Arctic counterpart of the classic Russian dish Beef Stroganoff, prepared with venison. This meal was created expressly for municipal events by the proprietors of the 'Mr. Black' burger food truck from Zapolyarny. The dish appears straightforward: a layer of mashed potatoes, sliced venison in a creamy sauce, lingonberries, and sliced pickles. Poke-style served in a circular kraft box.

Bottom Line 

The traditional diets in the Arctic do vary from region to region but are united by the restrictions the local climate puts on what is available. It is largely a meat diet, with only the hardiest plants and an abundance of mushrooms and berries in the brief height of summer and autumn. Of course, diets in these regions nowadays are much more diverse. 

Everything from pineapples to pizza to pad thai can be bought in local shops and restaurants. This range is good in many ways, but importing food can be expensive, and the cheapest foods are often the most processed and nutritionally void, so using local ingredients and traditional recipes can be a good way to celebrate the foods and cultures of the area while looking out for your health.