Akutaq

Akutaq
Iced akutaq made from raspberries and blueberries
Alternative names	Eskimo ice cream, Native ice cream, Alaskan ice cream
Type	Dessert
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Alaska
Creator	Eskimo of Alaskan Natives and Native Siberians
Main ingredients	fish or meat, fat, sweetener berries
Cookbook:Akutaq  Akutaq

Akutaq or agutak (ᐊᑯᑕᖅ), also known as Eskimo ice cream, is a common food in western Alaska, consisting of whipped fat mixed with berries, with optional additions such as fish and sugar. The word comes from Yup'ik and means "something mixed".^[1]

Both akutaq (Eskimo ice cream) and Indian ice cream are also known as native ice cream or Alaskan ice cream in Alaska.

There are many variations of Akutaq, but most involve mixing berries, meat, leaves, or roots with animal oil or fat. Cranberries, salmonberries, crowberries, cloudberries, and blueberries are common fruits. Salmon and caribou are common meats. Reindeer tallow, moose tallow, walrus tallow, caribou tallow, or seal oil can be used. Sugar is sometimes added (although not traditionally). Occasionally, extra water is needed as well.

Traditionally, akutaq was made with seal oil, fish roe, and fresh berries, but as a more western lifestyle is adopted, the convenience of Crisco and the taste of added sugar are preferred. While the fats used in the traditional recipe for akutaq are high in omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A, the current fat, namely Crisco, is essentially a highly caloric source of trans fat.^[2]

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  Akutaq made from raspberries, blueberries and vegetable shortening

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  Tumnaq, a wooden bowl used to make akutaq

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  An important ingredient of akutaq

See also

• Tolkusha
• Pemmican

References