Guest Author - Kimi Ross

In an environment experiencing below freezing temperatures for the greater part of the year, it comes as no surprise that frozen foods were a mainstay of a traditional, subsistence diet. Native groups across Alaska depended on “quaq,” as it is known in Inupiaq, for winter survival. Quaq refers to any raw frozen meat or fish; it is frequently eaten with a condiment of seal oil.

With the availability of frozen pizza, peanut butter, and white bread in the village store, quaq is no longer the staple it once was. But it has not disappeared altogether. The older generation enjoys quaq on a regular basis; in addition, people relish it as a special treat served at banquets and potlucks, along with its pungent relative, “stinkfish.”

In the upper Kobuk Valley, stinkfish made from sheefish is especially prized. Each year this variety of whitefish migrates far up the Kobuk River to spawn. Unlike salmon, they do not die after spawning, but return to the brackish waters of Hotham Inlet and Selawik Lake for the winter. As a result, sheefish may live up to twenty years and reach a large size. Females of the species, stuffed with as many as 400,000 eggs, may weigh up to sixty pounds. People select these large females to make stinkfish. As spawning coincides with the arrival of first frost, usually late September thru early October, conditions are prime for the process.

To prepare, one digs a pit approximately two feet deep in a well-drained location, preferably sheltered from direct sun. The length and width of the pit depends on the number of fish. After lining the pit with sedges and willows, one places the fish on top, in layers if necessary. More willow branches are placed on the fish. Lastly, a thin piece of plywood or a tarp covers the pit to protect from scavengers (red fox, wolverine, stray dogs, ravens).

For several weeks the fish ferments in the daily freeze-thaw cycle of fall. As the name implies, the result is an odiferous product. It is a favorite food of elders and like quaq, is eaten raw and frozen. It is reportedly very filling and sleep-inducing.

According to a 1998 report entitled Botulism in Alaska published by the State of Alaska Epidemiology Department, there has been an increase in the cases of botulism associated with eating traditional fermented foods such as stinkfish. Many health officials believe this is due to an increase in the use of modern materials and air-tight plastic containers in the preparation of traditional fermented foods. While the risk is there (and always has been), it is unlikely that people will stop preparing, eating, and enjoying their traditional foods.