A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO NIQIPIAQ

I LOVE niqipiaq! If I could live off of it I would. Growing up in Kotzebue, the staples of our diet included: 

Oogruk – bearded seal

Seal oil – blubber from oogruk that is rendered into oil

Black meat - meat from oogruk. I don’t know the Inupiaq word for black meat, we always called it black meat because, well, it’s black

Panaqtuq - dried meat, be it fish or caribou

Black meat hanging on the top left, trout and whitefish hanging in the middle

Caribou – often in soup or roasted

Muktuk - the skin and blubber from the bowhead whale and beluga

  

Qauq  - meat that is raw but frozen, it includes fish and caribou

Ukpiks (salmonberries), blueberries, blackberries

Duck

And of course, Sailor Boy crackers! Sailor Boys aren't traditional Inupiaq food but we love 'em. They are Inupiaq soul food. You could eat them with anything - butter, mayonnaise and pepper, peanut butter and honey, and my personal favorite: toasted crackers with butter and salt.

When you live in the city, the most readily available foods are seal oil, black meat, panaqtuq, ukpiks, and caribou (and did you know, it's almost impossible to find Sailor Boys in the States?) On occasion we had muktuk but that was  mostly a treat. These foods can be frozen for a long time without spoiling and are easy to transport.

When you’re low on black meat, panaqtuq or muktuk, you can always eat seal oil with other things! We often ate it with carrots and apples and even that was fulfilling. We still keep a jar in the freezer and when we are hungry for niqipiaq we take it out and scrounge around the refrigerator for some carrots or apples. 

Whether in the city or village, eating niqipiaq is a bonding moment. You gather together with friends and family and enjoy it. We sit at the table and eat and talk, with the television off, mind you. Then we finish it off with tea and crackers - you must always finish it off with tea and crackers! 

  

My mom and I often eat niqipiaq at the table and it strengthens our relationship. That's what food should be about! Nourishing your body and spirit and familial relations.