Muktuk and Caribou

On my trip to Arviat, (Eskimo Point until 1989) I had the pleasure of meeting a number of interesting and amazing people. Two of the people I met were Jimmy Main and Lois Locke. Jimmy is the District Director. He has been in Arviat since he was very young and grew up there. His dad ran the local Hundson Bay company post for many years, retired in 2005 and continue to live in Arviat. Jimmy is fluent in Inuktituk the local Inuit language. Jimmy is also an avid hunter and fisherman. He goes out often to hunt caribou and keeps his family and neighbours stocked up with caribou meat. He gave me 2 large hunks of meat to take back to Iqaluit with me. Jacquie and I are planning to have a caribou stew, which we hear is excellent.

Lois Locke is a program officer for the Nunavut Housing Corporation. She was born and raised in Arviat. She is inuit and speaks Inuktitik as her first language. Her family hunts beluga whales and shares the harvest. Muktuk is the fatty meat that is found attached to the outer skin. Many of the locals eat this raw and it's considered a delicacy. Lois gave me 2 good size bags of Muktuk to bring home with me. Jacquie and I haven't tried it yet and when it was explained to us that it is best descibed as tasting like and having the consistecny of sweet butter, we are taking a few days to psyche ourselves up for the event. We will try it raw, just to say that we have experienced the taste, however I'm looking forward to trying it fried as I'm told it tastes a little like back bacon.

Jacquie and I want to thank Jimmy and Lois for their generosity and for the opportunity to try some of the local cuisine.