Far North Rambles #9: Iqaluit Muktuk

Muktuk: "It is an acquired taste!" Situations sometimes arise quickly and you make a decision based on respect for other cultures.

Back in July, 2004, I attended the annual, national meeting of energy and mines ministers in Iqaluit, Nunavut in my role as Director of Ontario Geological Survey. The Ontario contingent included our Minister, his chief of staff, senior Ministry Executive, and a Ministry policy advisor. Two technical people in the contingent were Lori Churchill and myself. We two technical people attended because there were some technical meetings that were important to attend.

At a local restaurant, Lori and I each bought a carving from the wife of a local carver (mine shown in photo below). We asked to meet the carver, as that added more significance to the carving.

The next day, after the Ontario contingent visited the Nunavut legislature, we traveled to the adjacent community of Apex to meet the carver. As we walked around the house with the carver’s wife, the living room window flew open and a grandparent, armed with a huge knife, cracked a huge smile. She spoke to us in Inuktitut, the local language. The Ontario contingent stood in formation facing the open window, Lori and I in front of the Ontario contingent. The carver’s wife, who stood between us and the window, explained that the grandmother was carving up a freshly harvested walrus and parts of a beluga whale in the living room. The grandmother had just offered us a sample of raw walrus blubber, called muktuk, and raw whale meat. The wife explained that it was an important cultural practice to share food with visitors and it was an honour to receive these foods. Lori and I looked at each other, nodded affirmatively to the grandmother, and waited. The grandmother disappeared and in about 5 seconds, she returned and leaned out the window with walrus blubber stuck on the tip of her knife. Being respectful, we said “the Minister and Executive are the senior people and they should receive the first samples. We turned to respectfully invite the Minister and Ministry Executive to the front.

They were gone. Vanished! Nowhere in sight! Without a sound!

So, Lori and I remained to receive the muktuk. Now, I won’t sugar coat this and I say this with the greatest respect for those who love muktuk. To me, the texture of muktuk was like tofu, which I avoid (sorry), and it tasted like a piece of tofu that had been marinated in fuel oil. No, I have never tasted fuel oil, but fuel oil smells like the muktuk tasted. It was a struggle to swallow it. Our facial expressions must have been a clue because the grandmother and wife giggled like children splashing through a puddle.

Next, came the whale meat. Our expectation had been set by the muktuk. We braced ourselves as we reluctantly placed the whale meat into our mouths. Wow! The clouds parted, the Sun shone brightly, and the birds began to sing. The whale meat just “melted” in my mouth. It had a mild, delicious taste. It was the perfect “chaser” to the muktuk.

Now, in case you are wondering about the rest of the Ontario contingent, I learned later that the every Minister is advised to be careful about their health and what they eat and drink when traveling on business of the Government. He, his staff, and Ministry Executive had silently slipped away to avoid creating a cultural incident. They had done exactly what was required to ensure the Minister did not partake in something that might disagree with his constitution. But they were confident that the “staff” would save the "honour of the Ontario Crown".

That was the first and last time I ate muktuk. And yes, in my opinion, it is an acquired taste - to me, at least. And yes, I still avoid tofu.

Andy Fyon, Aug 28, 2020 (Facebook March 20, 2020)

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