TRADITIONAL FOOD and STORE-BOUGHT FOOD
The Inuit traditionally have relied on hunting and fishing to survive. For thousands of years they hunted the caribou, musk ox, Arctic hare, walrus, polar bear, seal, whale, ptarmigan, geese, ducks and other birds as well as bird eggs. Wild greens, roots, berries and seaweed were collected and preserved. The traditional food obtained from the land and the sea is called "country food" .Today the Inuit still hunt and fish. Gardens or crops can't be grown in the Arctic, although there are greenhouses in a few communities.
a store selling groceries and other supplies
image credit - Nancy Shaver; used with permissionModern food or southern food is shipped from southern Canada and sold at local stores. Depending on the size of the community, some places have two stores - a Northern store and a Co-operative. Both stores sell fresh, frozen and canned foods, processed foods and dried goods, along with hardware, hunting and household supplies. Flights bring fresh fruits and vegetables, bread and perishables like milk. Modern food is becoming popular among the young people. The traditional food or country food obtained by hunting and fishing is healthier and less costly than the store-bought food.
The following information about obtaining groceries in the community of Pangnirtung is from http://www.pangnirtung.ca. There are two stores in the community (population 1481, 2016 census) - a Northern Store and a Co-op. Fresh fruit and produce, dairy and meat products are flown in from Ottawa or Montreal. People often order fresh produce through food mail. They place sealift orders for other supplies. Many rely on country foods (caribou, arctic char, seal, etc).
4 litre milk - $15.89 dozen large eggs - $4.47 cheddar cheese (270g) - $7.99 cheese whiz (500g) - $13.71 peanut butter (500g) - $5.79 frozen french fries (1kg) - $7.69 potatoes (4.54kg or 10 lbs) - $16.49 cucumber (1) - $4.67 apples (1 kg) - $8.40 apple juice (1 litre) - $8.03 can vegetable soup (284ml) - $3.46 soda crackers (454g) - $7.51 |
dozen buns (hamburger/hot dog) - $4.64 bread, whole wheat (675g) - $4.89 flour (10 kg) - $39.99 corn flakes (500g) - $8.66 mac and cheese (225g) - $3.65 bacon (500g) - $16.14 wieners (500g) - $5.61 pork chops (l kg) - $12.09 ground beef (1 kg) - $15.99 bathroom tissue 2 ply 12 rolls - $17.34 tooth paste (130ml) - $8.44 soft drinks (12 cans) - $21.99 |
Besides shopping at the local store, people can get their food and supplies by sealift delivered by ships/barges, online shopping (internet) and food mail (now called Nutrition North) transported by planes. Sealift orders arrive once or twice a year depending on location of the community. Delivery is in the summer or fall when the sea ice has melted. People can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars by ordering groceries and supplies in bulk provided they have the space for storage. Food mail orders can be placed every week for fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy products and other perishables. The orders are flown in. This is also cheaper than shopping at local stores.
Traditionally, the Inuit did not eat many fruits or vegetables. They ate mostly meat, obtained from the land and the sea. Here are some of the traditional foods that are eaten today. The meat is eaten raw, frozen, cooked, dried or aged.
- Caribou meat is similar to deer meat. The meat, liver and stomach contents are eaten.
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information from :
Traditional Foods of the Inuit
Inuit : Traditional Food Fact Sheet
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Far North Food
People of the Arctic, by John Tyman
cooking and eating |
changing diets
Pangnirtung - Living here