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Master Fisherman Floyd Kookash of Angoon,
Alaska had us taste some great native foods while visiting there a
couple of weeks ago. Here's the picture: we're trolling for salmon
(silver, king, whatever) and there's a lull in the action. We've been
out for over three hours and the hunger is starting to build. We were
fishing the inland passage of the South East Alaskan Islands, all over
the place. Calm, glassy water, blue sky, temperature about 65 degrees,
no wind - a wonderful day to be alive - especially among friends and
pure, clean Alaska. The native foods are simple yet exotic.
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Native food
time folks - first, out comes the seal meat with cracklins and seal oil.
Next dried seaweed and dried, paper-thin halibut and salmon, to dip in
the seal oil of course. He also brought some alder wood-smoked King
salmon sticks and pure King salmon, canned in
it's own juices - no additives. And finally, pickled critin (similar to
abalone) and real hard-tack biscuits. Folks, that's what I call living!
Oh by the way, the seal meat was very red, almost
maroon in color and tasted like beef. No fishy flavor, actually very
good. Harbor seal is what they prefer, according to Master guide Floyd.
It made me think of all the harbor seals we have in Monterey next to the
rocks by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I must remember to keep an eye on
Floyd next time he visits Monterey. Now if I could just get him to eat
those noisy crows that are all over the peninsula - Just kidding bird
lovers, no nasty e-mails please.
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