A message on the topic of the Chukchi people's favorite food. What food of the northern peoples cannot be eaten by other people. Desserts and drinks

Each nation has its own unique national dishes. It’s hard to imagine Czech cuisine without pork knuckle, Italian cuisine without thin slices of carpaccio, and Spanish cuisine without jamon. But national dish Nenets, Chukchi and Eskimos are called kopalchen. The peoples of the North have been eating this meat delicacy since childhood, but unprepared people should not try copalchen, since the consequences can be disastrous.

Kopalchen is a northern “delicacy”, the description of which may seem disgusting to many. The dish is “cooked” most often from fresh venison, less often from walrus, seal or even whale. The entire carcass of the animal is prepared; such a supply of food can be enough for an entire family for several weeks or even months.

The first stage of “preparing” copalchen is to properly kill the animal. If we are talking about a deer, then they choose the healthiest and strongest from the herd. Next, they take him away from the herd and keep him hungry for several days. This way, the deer’s stomach is completely cleansed naturally, and the animal can be sent for slaughter. A deer is killed by strangulation, being careful not to damage the skin so that there are no wounds left on the body. Next, the animal’s carcass is immersed in a swamp, covered with turf, and a mark is made at the place of its “burial.” It's interesting that in Soviet years Pioneer ties were used as markings, which were clearly visible and did not fade in any weather.

The carcass is left under water for at least six months. Afterwards, in winter, they dig it up and eat it. During this time, the meat begins to decompose and cadaveric poisons are released, which is why an unprepared person should never try copalchen. And it’s unlikely that any tourists will want to taste carrion: copalchen has a specific appearance and smell that completely discourages appetite. Local people eat such meat with pleasure; for them it is a life-saving supply in the event that hunters fail to obtain food for a long time. Eskimos and Nenets have become accustomed to cutting frozen kopalchen into thin slices and seasoning them with salt before use.

Kopalchen has been known since ancient times. Such meat is high in calories, so just a few pieces are enough for an adult man to work in the cold all day without freezing or experiencing physical exhaustion.

To prevent consumption of copalchen from causing poisoning, children are taught to eat fresh meat from birth. Instead of a pacifier, babies are given a piece of meat or lard, and after the child has grown up, he eats kopalchen along with older family members. Kopalchen, by the way, is also used to feed sled dogs.

Each northern people has its own traditions. For example, the Nenets prefer to store deer meat for the winter, the Chukchi prefer walruses, and the Canadian Inuit prefer whales. Another version of this dish is seal stuffed with seagulls. The preparation method is similar: leave the skinned carcass for several months in permafrost, and then, after digging it up, you can eat it.

The cadaveric poison contained in rotten meat will definitely lead to severe poisoning or death if a stranger decides to try such a dish, but for local residents this is a real salvation from starvation and a delicacy.

Of course, not all national dishes are as dangerous as copalchem. often become business cards different countries, and tourists, going on a trip, definitely try to taste them.

There are many unique and interesting places on our planet, and in these places live no less interesting people, or rather entire peoples: Chukchi, Yakuts, Evenks, Khanty, Mansi, Nanais, Nenets, Selkups, Eskimos and many, many others.

The life of these people is very different from ours, because they live in extremely difficult climatic conditions. These people have their own culture, their own traditions and, of course, their own national cuisine. We must immediately make a reservation that the world is constantly undergoing a process of mutual penetration of cultures, including in cooking. What was previously eaten only by northern peoples (well, and maybe some of their more southern neighbors), now it’s not even northerners who eat it (stroganina), and vice versa. Well, for example, could the Chukchi two centuries ago imagine what rice, onions, bay leaves or dill were? In this case, of course, one must take into account the “local specifics” of national dishes: in one region, exclusively venison is used to prepare a certain dish, in another, seal meat is preferred.

So, about the “old” national dishes of the northern peoples.

1. Nuvkurak.

Among the Yakuts, this dish is prepared from boiled tongues.

Among the Chukchi it is whale meat prepared in a special way. First, it is dried in the open air until a weathered crust forms on top, but the inside remains raw.

Then heat treatment occurs; in other words, the dried meat is cooked. But even after this, they are in no hurry to eat the dish.

For the Chukchi, nukurak is akin to our canned food and they prepare it for future use in order to survive the long, harsh winter. Fortunately, storing the product in almost permafrost conditions does not present any particular problems.

True, so that the meat does not freeze completely, it is rolled into barrels with a large amount of seal fat, and in this form it waits in the wings before getting to the table.

2. Iskeh alaadi.

By appearance and even by name, associations immediately arise with our Russian pancakes. In essence, this is true. It’s just that the products used are slightly different.

In addition to traditional flour and milk, Iskeh Alaadya includes ground red caviar, onions, salt and spices; the Nenets, along with water, knead blood into the dough, mainly from deer. Otherwise, they are prepared exactly the same as classic pancakes.

3. I'm chomping at the bit.

A fried dish of their beef liver and internal lard. The liver, cut into thin slices, is wrapped in a film of internal fat and fried in a frying pan with the addition of oil.

Those who have tried chohocha note the special subtle taste of this dish.

4. Dried duck (Even cuisine).

Pluck the duck, starting from the neck, being careful not to damage the skin. Then carefully remove the feather stumps. Carefully gut and wash the blood clots from the inside. Cut the bird carcass lengthwise along the breast into two parts, separate from large bones. Unfold the carcass and lay it on sticks to dry. It is better to dry it in hot weather, hanging it in a place that is blown from all sides. You should not add salt; salt retains moisture, which impairs the quality of the finished product. Store dried duck in a cool, dry place.

Chop into pieces, place in steep salted boiling water and boil for several minutes. This is very delicious dish, can be served with pickles or other spicy side dish.
Other game birds are dried in the same way.

5. Khaan (blood sausage).

It is prepared from fresh beef or horse blood, filling the intestines (both large and thin) with it. Since ancient times, two types of blood sausages have been known: delicacy - subai and simple, so-called “black” blood. During slaughter, the blood is settled: the upper liquid part is subai, and the lower part is “black” blood.
Subaya sausage is tastier and softer, smoother, with a slight hint of shine, lighter. Black blood sausage is thicker, darker in color, and less tasty. The taste of blood sausage also depends on the composition: the amount of blood, the fat content of the intestines. Particularly appetizing is the sausage made from carefully processed blood injected into the colon. Horse blood sausage takes on a white or cream color after cooking.
Boil in a spacious saucepan. Frozen khaan needs to be thawed a little.
Any khaan is dipped in salted hot water and boiled over low heat. You need to constantly monitor the cooking. If it boils too much, it may burst, and then all the blood will fall out of the shell. Overcooked khaan may also burst.
The khaan must be carefully turned while cooking. Readiness is determined by pressing with your finger. If you feel thickening of the blood, you can lightly pierce it with the thin edge of a fork or knife. If it is not blood that flows out, but clear juice, you can pierce it in different places and deeper. It happens that some part is not ready yet.
After making sure that the khaan is fully prepared, immediately take it out, place it on a large dish, and cut off the string. The knives must be sharp, otherwise the shape of the sliced ​​circle will be destroyed.
Khaan is best cooked before serving.

6. Bear paw.

This dish is probably prepared by experienced hunters. Having singed the wool, stripped it and steamed it in hot water, the paw is wrapped in a rag and poured boiling water over it. After this, they are cleaned again and lowered into the cauldron to simmer over low heat for about five hours.

7. The tongues of crucian carp.

The indigenous peoples of the North believe that the most delicious part of crucian carp is the tongue. The taste is slightly reminiscent of boiled brains. Fatty and tender dish. A large crucian carp's tongue can be the size of a thumbnail.

8. Maktak (“muktuk”).
For peoples living in the Arctic, the ocean is the only source of food. Traditionally, people hunted whales and killer whales year-round. Maktak is a dish consisting of whale skin and fat.

It is considered a delicacy, especially if the maktak is made from polar whale, narwhal or beluga.

You can eat maktak fresh, fried, salted or pickled. The flavor is slightly nutty and the skin is a bit tough. Maktak contains a large amount of vitamin C, which prevents scurvy. Many Arctic cultures of Greenland, Canada, Siberia and Alaska eat maktak in their traditional form. Recently, this dish is rarely eaten due to environmental problems with the purity of sea water, as toxins are concentrated in the fish.

Now about the “specific” dishes of the northern peoples.

9. "Canned" venison.
This dish takes quite a long time to prepare. Deer meat is placed in a bag made of seal (walrus) skin, then a layer of deer bones, a layer of meat - a layer of bones - and so on layer by layer until the skin is filled to the top. It is tightly bandaged and buried in a pre-dug snow hole, digging it down to the ground.

The dish is prepared in the summer, but it will be ready for consumption only in the winter.

Surprisingly, no spices are used in the cooking process, not even salt.

After lying in such an improvised glacier for several months, the meat becomes salty and, according to the local population, very tasty.

10. Kopalkhen (kopalkhem, kopalkhyn, kopalgyn, kopalkha, igunak).

Each nation has its own unique national dishes. It’s hard to imagine Czech cuisine without pork knuckle, Italian cuisine without thin slices of carpaccio, and Spanish cuisine without jamon. But the national dish of the Nenets, Chukchi and Eskimos is called kopalkhen. It is prepared from fresh meat by fermentation under pressure. Due to the formation of cadaveric poison during the preparation process, the dish is deadly for representatives of most other nationalities.

Kopalchen is prepared from walrus, seal, deer (Nenets, Chukchi, Evenki version), duck (Greenland version), whale (Eskimo version).

If it is not a whale, the entire carcass of the animal is prepared; such a supply of food can be enough for an entire family for several weeks or even months.

The first stage of “preparing” copalchen is to properly kill the animal. If we are talking about a deer, then they choose the healthiest and strongest from the herd. Next, they take him away from the herd and keep him hungry for several days. This way, the deer’s stomach is completely cleansed naturally, and the animal can be sent for slaughter. A deer is killed by strangulation, being careful not to damage the skin so that there are no wounds left on the body. Next, the animal’s carcass is immersed in a swamp, covered with turf, and a mark is made at the place of its “burial.” It is interesting that in the Soviet years, pioneer ties were used as markings, which were clearly visible and did not fade in any weather.

The carcass is left under water for at least six months. Afterwards, in winter, they dig it up and eat it. During this time, the meat begins to decompose and cadaveric poisons are released, which is why an unprepared person should never try copalchen. And it’s unlikely that any tourists will want to taste carrion: copalchen has a specific appearance and smell that completely discourages appetite. Local people eat such meat with pleasure; for them it is a life-saving supply in the event that hunters fail to obtain food for a long time. Eskimos and Nenets have become accustomed to cutting frozen kopalchen into thin slices and seasoning them with salt before use.

Kopalchen has been known since ancient times. Such meat is high in calories, so just a few pieces are enough for an adult man to work in the cold all day without freezing or experiencing physical exhaustion.
To prevent consumption of copalchen from causing poisoning, children are taught to eat fresh meat from birth. Instead of a pacifier, babies are given a piece of meat or lard, and after the child has grown up, he eats kopalchen along with older family members. Kopalchen, by the way, is also used to feed sled dogs.

Each northern people has its own traditions. For example, the Nenets prefer to store deer meat for the winter, the Chukchi prefer walruses, and the Canadian Inuit prefer whales. Another version of this dish is seal stuffed with seagulls. The preparation method is similar: leave the skinned carcass for several months in permafrost, and then, after digging it up, eat it.

10V. Copalchem ​​is most often eaten cut into thin slices and sprinkled with salt.

For local residents, this was both a real salvation from starvation and a delicacy.

11. Kiwiak.

Somewhat reminiscent of the previous dish. Although here we are talking about cooking poultry - seagulls, guillemots (lik).

Kiwiak is a delicacy of the northern peoples living in permafrost zones. For example, you can try it in Greenland by going on a special tour. The recipe is simple: the head of a seal is cut off and stuffed with dead, unplucked gulls or guillemots. It is necessary to remove as much air as possible from the carcass and close all cavities of the seal carcass with lard. The prepared carcass is left in permafrost under a pile of stones. 6-7 months is enough for the birds to decompose inside and their enzymes have time to process the seal intestines. Ready kiwiak is dug up and eaten without any processing, preferably in the fresh air, because from the smell ordinary person may lose consciousness. The taste is reminiscent of a spicy, sharp, over-aged cheese.

The Dolgan national dish is prepared in a similar way:

12. Goose (with a smell).
The cooked goose carcass is placed in a bag made of eider skin, the bag is tightly sewn up and lowered into a cellar hole dug in the permafrost. Geese remain in a natural refrigerator for 2–3 months. During this period, goose meat not only acquires a specific smell, but also becomes softer and more tender. It is used to make soup and roast.

13. Subcutaneous gadfly larvae.

The deer's worst enemy is the subcutaneous gadfly, which appears in late June and early July. The number of gadflies increases and reaches a maximum by the beginning of August, and from the second half of August it decreases significantly. Female gadflies lay eggs on the deer's hair that grows after molting. Each female lays several hundred eggs. They stick firmly to the deer hair. After 3-4 days, worm-like larvae 0.7 mm long emerge from the eggs, slide to the base of the hair, penetrate the skin and slowly move along the subcutaneous connective tissue.

After 3-4 months, the larvae are located under the skin in the back and lower back, where they make holes - fistulas. A connecting capsule is formed around each larva. The larvae stay here for about seven months, undergoing two molts during this time. In May-June, mature larvae fall to the ground through fistulous openings, burrow in the surface layer of soil and pupate. After 20–60 days, sexually mature individuals emerge from the pupae, which mate within a few hours, and the fertilized females go in search of deer. The cycle begins again.

The prevalence of deer with the subcutaneous botfly is very high. There were up to a thousand or more larvae on individual animals. Deer were sometimes so exhausted that they died.

Mature larvae of the subcutaneous gadfly reach a length of 30 mm and a thickness of 13–15 mm. This is three hundred thousand times more than the volume they had when leaving the egg. They are characterized by a very high protein and fat content.

Some indigenous peoples of the north eat mature larvae of the subcutaneous botfly raw. North American and Canadian Indians and the Chukchi fry them and classify this food as a delicacy. In this form, they are much tastier and healthier than Chinese dried grasshoppers.

14. Kanyga with berries.

This exotic northern dish is considered a delicacy among many indigenous peoples of the north. It is especially popular among the Chukchi, Koryaks, Indians, and Eskimos. As is known, domestic and wild reindeer feed mainly on various lichens, leaves of shrubs, green and winter-green herbs, and mushrooms, if available. These feeds serve as the main source of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, macro- and microelements for deer.

Kanyga is the semi-digested contents of the stomach of a reindeer. This mass is eaten with spoons, mixed with berries - blueberries, shiksha, lingonberries in arbitrary proportions.

A Russian may not appreciate this food either in smell or taste. However, for an aborigine, the smell of canyga evokes delight and appetite. This food promotes better digestion and absorption of fatty meat foods. At the same time, the native’s body is additionally enriched with vitamins, macro- and microelements.

15. Monyalo.

This is half-digested moss extracted from a large deer stomach. Monyal is not eaten as an independent dish. Various canned goods and fresh dishes are prepared from it. For example, monyalo in Chukchi: you need to boil water in a large container, add finely chopped meat, and after ten minutes add fat. Bring to half-cookedness, add blood, and monyalo. Cook until the meat is completely cooked. Spices were not usually used. Until the twentieth century, monyalo was the most common hot dish among the Chukchi.

16. Pickled salmon heads.

In mid-summer, during the first salmon run, the heads of these fish begin to ferment. First, they dig a hole by removing the turf from the ground. The volume of the pit is determined by the number of harvested heads. The bottom is covered with willow twigs or removed turf, on which fish ridges are laid, and heads are placed on these ridges. Then the heads are also covered with a layer of ridges, and turf is placed on them. The glacier is covered with earth and slightly compacted. Subsequently, as soon as the filled pile of earth sinks and becomes level with the surface of the turf, the heads are removed from the hole. The head pickling is done in such a way that they are ready by September, when those who have traveled far to work arrive.

17. Vilmulimul.

The deer's blood is drained into the cleaned stomach. Boiled kidneys, liver, ears, fried hooves (after removing the cornea) and lips are also placed there, berries and sorrel are added. The full stomach is carefully sewn up and lowered into the ketyran (glacier) for the winter. This high-calorie and vitamin-rich product is eaten in the spring.

18. Eyes of a deer.

The Evens are not averse to feasting on the raw eyes of a deer. For them it's like ordinary chewing gum.

19. Desserts and drinks.

For example, it serves as a dessert for Greenlanders. akutak– Inuit ice cream, which is made from berries, fish (usually salmon), sugar (great combination of ingredients, right?) and whipped fat (!!!). In fact, there are a lot of recipes for preparing akutak, but the above-mentioned one is the most traditional. The source of fat for this dessert comes from deer, elk and walruses.

19B. Among the drinks, representatives of the northern people preferred herbal decoctions, similar to tea, as well as animal blood.

The diet of the coastal and reindeer Chukchi differed. Its basis among the nomadic population was deer meat, and among the sedentary population - products of sea hunting. True, as noted by V.G. Bogoraz, “the reindeer Chukchi have a great penchant for sea food. ... On the other hand, the coastal Chukchi and Eskimos also highly value reindeer meat and call it “the sweet food of reindeer herders” (Bogoraz, 1991. P. 126). Between the reindeer and coastal groups constantly exchanged the products of their crafts.

A feature of the diet of the coastal Chukchi was its diversity, which is typical for all Arctic peoples engaged in hunting: “In the societies of Arctic sea hunters, a traditional diet has developed, characterized by the highest variety of foods and dishes compared to the diet of other Arctic peoples” (Bogoslovskaya et al., 2007. P. 372). It is characteristic that the food of the sedentary Chukchi of the northern and Bering Sea coasts was somewhat different, which is explained by the peculiarities of climate and natural conditions, and the specifics of the fishing routine of both.

Among the food products of the coastal Chukchi, one of the main places was occupied by meat, fat and entrails of the walrus. The meat of walruses caught in the summer was cleaned of fat and placed in a special pit where water was poured. In such a pit, meat could be preserved until the onset of cold weather. A significant part of the summer walrus meat was dried, stored for future use. Dried meat was eaten in winter, usually pounded and mixed with fat. Walrus entrails were also stored for the winter. At the same time, the lungs and heart of the walrus were cut up and dried on hangers, and the kidneys were dried for the winter. Walrus entrails were often eaten raw. Raw liver was especially prized. It was considered a good remedy for restoring strength after major blood loss; it was used to treat stomach, intestinal and pulmonary diseases.

Most often, walrus meat was eaten pickled: " Kopalchen- pickled walrus meat - for the coastal Chukchi it was an indispensable dish for at least six to seven months a year... Kopalchen is eaten “like bread.” It is eaten on its own, as well as with fish and herbs. ... Copalchen is absorbed extremely easily. They do not chew it, but simply swallow it" (Afanasyeva, Simchenko, 1993. pp. 65-66). To prepare kopalchen, pieces of fresh walrus meat along with lard and skin were placed in special earthen pits, which were covered with turf on top. In such pits the meat fermented with the most valuable food product Walrus fat, both subcutaneous and internal, was considered. In fresh and fermented form, it was used as a universal food additive. Walrus fat was also used in the preservation of wild plants. It was stored in bags made of seal skins.

Equally important for the nutrition of the Chukchi were seal meat and fat. "Seals were caught all year round and the most in various ways. Seal meat... was a constant ingredient in the menu of coastal hunters" (Ibid. p. 73). For many centuries, the population of coastal Chukotka used whale products for food." Traditional cuisine marine hunters of Chukotka includes more than 20 different dishes from meat, fat, skin, fins, tongue and entrails of bowhead and gray whales and beluga whales" (Bogoslovskaya et al., 2007, p. 375).

In the collection " Along the Bogoraz path" some recipes are given for dishes prepared by the Naukan Eskimos and the Uelen Chukchi from whaling products: "Whale skin with lard (man "tak") is traditionally eaten raw and boiled. It is prepared for future use, tightly packed in a barrel with Ivan-tea leaves (vevegtyt) and filled with water, then it has a pleasant smell of Ivan-tea and for a long time keeps it fresh. This skin is eaten only in winter. In the fall, with the onset of severe frosts, bowhead whale mann "tak" is placed in large plates in a meat pit, where it is stored until spring. This is a good gift when traveling to visit reindeer herders in neighboring villages. In winter, raw manna is eaten “tak” before bed, and boiled manna is often consumed with a porridge-like mass made from the leaves of the knotweed (kyyugak). Hunters, going out to sea to fish, take manna “tak” with them as a supply of food. ...

Fresh gray whale blubber is eaten in summer with ground knotweed leaves. Fermented whale liver is eaten with fresh boiled skin and walrus lard (kahu). The juice of fermented liver is drunk together with broth (k'ayuk) made from seal fat.

Fresh kidneys (takhtuk) are boiled before eating, and the kidneys “with flavor” are eaten raw, dipped in melted seal fat (mysek) (Tein et al., 2008, p. 177).

Among the nomadic Chukchi, the traditional diet necessarily included regular consumption of venison. Deer entrails (liver, kidneys, heart), as well as eyes, bone marrow, tendons, and nasal cartilage were eaten raw immediately after the animal was slaughtered. Meat was eaten mainly boiled and dried. About the process of drying meat by the Chukchi V.G. Bogoraz wrote the following: " In the spring, around mid-April, the reindeer Chukchi dry their meat in the open air; under the combined action of daytime heat and nighttime cold, even large pieces of meat are completely dried out, retaining their taste and tenderness. Dried meat is lightly smoked over the fireplace in the tent"(Bogoraz, 1991. P. 129).

The meat broth was drunk and used to prepare various dishes: “In the past, young and middle-aged reindeer herders significantly limited themselves in water consumption. It was believed that it was unacceptable for a person engaged in herding reindeer to drink raw water. Thirst was quenched exclusively with meat broth. The meat broth was given to infants children and older children used meat broth in the preparation of plant foods" (Afanasyeva, Simchenko, 1993, pp. 88-89).

Blood soup was an everyday dish. It was prepared with wild garlic - wild onions and sarana - kimchak. “Blood stew was an obligatory element in all rituals asking for well-being. It was splashed in all directions of the world, starting from the east, when such rituals were performed” (Ibid. p. 89).

The popular dish vilk'ril was also prepared from deer blood. To do this, finely excised cartilage, veins, films, as well as gastric juice, which was obtained by squeezing the green mass contained in the stomach of a slaughtered deer, were added to the blood. This whole blood mixture was fermented in deer stomach.

Among ritual meat dishes, a special place was occupied by sausage from the cecum - rorat. Such sausage “was an obligatory ingredient in all rituals, without exception. They fed the fire with it, sacrificial parts were cut off from it to the supernatural forces of nature. It played the role of a kind of communion in all sacred acts” (Ibid. p. 92). One of the popular holiday dishes made from venison is tychgitagav. To prepare it, bone fat was added to the ground deer meat. Koloboks were made from the resulting mass and frozen.

In addition to the meat of domestic reindeer, the Chukchi also ate the meat of wild deer, bighorn sheep, hares, partridges, and waterfowl. The Chukchi have some prohibitions and restrictions related to animal food. So, according to V.G.Bogoraz, "the reindeer Chukchi abstain from the meat of wolverine and black bear, all types of wolves and most birds of prey"(Bogoraz, 1991. P. 130).

Both nomadic and sedentary Chukchi had a wide variety of fish dishes. They caught mainly salmon. Coastal Chukchi “put summer fish into ground pits lined with alder branches along the bottom and sides. The fish was laid in several layers and also covered with a flooring of alder branches and covered with turf or covered with earth. After some time, the fish fermented and froze with the onset of cold weather” ( Afanasyeva, Simchenko, 1993. P. 74). Frozen fish was eaten with copalchen and fermented fat.

Among the reindeer Chukchi, “the main way of preserving fish was to make yukola; yukola was made from any salmon. When cutting, they first cut the belly from the anus to the head and took out the insides with caviar and milt. The caviar was immediately hung up to dry...

Then the abdomen was cut off - the knife was led from the abdominal gills to the tail, separating both sides at once. The abdomen was the most delicious part. The fish bellies were collected and hung for smoking in a yaranga. Further processing consisted of dismembering the fish carcass into the yoke part itself and the spine with the head. ...Yukola consisted of two plates of meat connected at the tail. Yukola was hung out to dry with its tail up... Yukola was an essential ingredient in the diet of reindeer herders. She was not served for a rare meal. As a rule, they drank tea with yukola... (Ibid. p. 96).

A special dish was prepared from fish heads. To do this, “caviar, crushed and crushed between the palms, was placed in a bag made of seal skin, and fish heads were placed in it. This mass was allowed to sour for three to four days, after which the heads were eaten” (Ibid. p. 97)

Fish dishes were obligatory at many reindeer herding festivals, for example, at the autumn festival of meeting herds. Different groups of Chukchi had their own traditions of using and preparing edible plants for food. Some groups prepared herbal mixtures based on the “golden root” - arctic radiola; others - the basis of herbal preparations were the leaves of polar alder (willow). Supplies of plant food were constantly exchanged.

According to the observations of G.M. Afanasyeva and Yu.B. Simchenko, among the Bering Sea Chukchi, “the most common root is kuset, which is identified by modern Chukchi with potatoes... The leaves and flowers of this plant are collected and boiled in water - they make green porridge, which is eaten in winter as an addition to copalchen and fresh meat "(Ibid.).

The Bering Sea Chukchi also used the roots of swamp grass for food, which were taken from mouse holes: “The procedure for collecting plants stored for the winter by mice was strictly statutory. Women took plants only from those mice that lived in their traditional grass collection areas. Usually older women Every autumn they take the young wives of their sons and their own female descendants, who are not married, and lead them to the tundra to traditional lands. There they are shown mouse holes, which they do not look for anew every time, and they open up long-known holes. that continuity is maintained between specific Chukchi families and mouse families... There are several immutable rules for the exploitation of mouse stocks, the violation of which automatically entails severe punishment.

This includes the ban on touching “other people’s” mouse holes. It is believed that if a woman disturbs mice not on her property, then her “own” mice will leave the traditional lands out of solidarity with their relatives. Other mandatory rule- leaving the mice yukola or dried meat for the winter in appropriate quantities for the taken supplies.

Each woman carries with her a bunch of dried fish, which she distributes among the mouse pantries. The third rule is that it is strictly forbidden to take a quantity of mice supplies equal to half of it, or even more than half. For violating this rule, not only the violator herself, but also her family had to pay with various misfortunes. The fourth rule is to cut and turn away the turf layer above the hole carefully. Having taken the stored plants, you need to carefully put the layer on top as it lay. I had to see holes that were repeatedly visited by people, and the mice did not leave them.

Latest important rule: the time for collecting plants from mouse holes should be strictly observed - a sufficiently long period before snow falls. According to Chukchi regulations, this was required to be done by aphids so that the mice had time to replenish the supplies of plants they needed... (Afanasyeva, Simchenko, 1993, pp. 69-70).

The berries were crowberry, cloudberry, lingonberry, blueberry, currant, and honeysuckle. The berries were eaten raw, as a delicacy, or they were an integral component of various fish and meat dishes: they were mixed with fish roe, crushed raw deer liver, and boiled fish liver. Mushrooms (except fly agaric) were eaten extremely rarely. They were considered deer food. Fly agaric was a ritual food. It was used to make a “journey” to other worlds, for fortune telling, and to maintain tone during heavy physical exertion.

The diet of the coastal Chukchi invariably included various products that were “supplied” by the sea. They ate seaweed raw and boiled. It was eaten with walrus meat and walrus blood.

From the beginning of contacts between the Chukchi and Europeans, flour products, sugar, bread, and seasonings began to occupy a significant place in their diet. V.G. Bogoraz wrote: “The Chukchi love to try “foreign food” and even get used to such cultural seasonings as mustard and pepper. They willingly sacrifice sugar, bread, etc., believing that spirits also love new types of food” (Bogoraz, 1991, p. 134). It is characteristic that “by introducing flour products into their diet, the indigenous inhabitants of the North significantly changed the methods of their culinary processing, adapting to the requirements of the Arctic environment. The traditional addition of blood or fish roe to baked goods, frying cakes in the fat of sea animals made it possible to maintain vitamin and microelement balance” ( Bogoslovskaya et al., 1997, p. 383).

KOPALKHEN (kopalkhem, kopalkhyn, kopalgyn, kopalkha, igunak)

A delicacy of the Nganasans, Chukchi and Eskimos.

Made from fresh meat by fermentation under pressure. Due to the formation of cadaveric poison during the preparation process, it is deadly for representatives of most other nationalities.

Kopalchen is prepared from walrus, seal, deer (Nenets, Chukchi, Evenki version), duck (Greenland version), whale (Eskimo version).

To prepare reindeer copalchen you need a large, fat and healthy deer. Do not feed it for several days (to cleanse the intestines), then smother it without damaging the skin. After this, the corpse is immersed in a swamp and covered with peat, covered with branches and stones, and left for several months. After the expiration of the period, the corpse is removed and eaten.

The more common version is made from walrus or seal: the animal is killed, cooled in water, placed in a skin from which the air is then released, and buried under a gravel press at the surf line. After a few months, the corpse is removed and eaten. Typically, walrus hunting is carried out in the summer, and the finished igunak is dug up in December.

They also write this about pickled walrus meat: when skinning the walrus, large pieces of meat with subcutaneous fat and skin are separated (plates measuring almost a meter by meter, weighing up to 70-80 kg). Then each piece is sprinkled on the inside with a mixture of herbs and lichens, rolled into a roll, connecting the edges. The prepared pieces are placed in special pits, the walls of which are lined with stones. The pits are made in permafrost, so the temperature in them is low, but still not so low that the meat becomes frozen. It does not rot, but some microorganisms form in it, which gradually change its composition and enrich it with vitamins. Ripened meat acquires a specific taste and smell.

Ice cream copalchen is cut into thin slices, which are rolled into tubes. The tubes are dipped in salt and eaten with the raw lungs of a freshly slaughtered deer.

Consequences for an unprepared person:

When consuming copalchen, any person, unless he has been eating it since childhood, receives severe poisoning, which in the absence of timely medical care can result in fatal. Rotten meat in pretty large quantities contains cadaveric poison - cadaverine, putrescine and neurin. They, among other substances formed during decomposition, are responsible for the unpleasant odor of the product, and are also toxic, especially neurin. The effect of neurin on the body is comparable to the effect of muscarine and organophosphorus substances, that is, profuse salivation, bronchorrhea, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and, in most cases, death from severe poisoning.

KIVIAC

Kiviak is a festive dish: about 400 guillemots (not gutted) are placed in a seal skin, the air is released from the skin, it is sealed with lard and placed in the ground under a press (stone) for 3-18 months. This period is enough for the birds to decompose inside and for their enzymes to process the seal intestines. The fermented bird is taken out, the feathers are removed (sometimes with the skin) and the meat is eaten raw. Excavated kiwiak is recommended to be consumed in the fresh air, as the dish has a strong specific smell. Kiwiak tastes like sharp, over-aged cheese.

SOUR-SALT FISH PECHORSKY SALTED

Fresh, just caught fish is lightly salted, placed in barrels and left in warm weather in the sun. If salting is done in the cold season, then barrels of fish are brought into a warm hut. The fish sits in the hut until it sours and acquires a specific smell. With this method of salting, the fish becomes completely soft and the meat is easily separated from the bones. If you ferment for a short time, the fish retains its shape. When fermented for a long time, a gelatinous, sour mass is obtained, which is eaten with spoons like porridge. It is used as a seasoning for porridge and potatoes, and bread is dipped into it. A similar method of salting fish is known to the Karelians. Like any fermented product, fish prepared in this way smells so strong and pungent that only a few, with the exception of local residents who consider this dish a delicacy, are able to eat it.

GOOSE WITH DUSKOM

Dolgans are cooked with flavor and poultry, in particular geese. They put the cooked goose carcass in a bag made of eider skin, sew it up tightly and lower it into a cellar hole dug in the permafrost. Geese remain in a natural refrigerator for 2-3 months. During this period, goose meat not only acquires a specific smell, but also becomes softer and more tender. It is used to make soup and roast.

Among deer, representatives of small nations generally eat everything they can - young antlers (antlers), bone marrow, raw and processed (including sour) meat, blood, liver, lungs and kidneys, heart, eyes and even ear glands. Except that the skin is not eaten, although it is also used for business.

On my own behalf, I would like to add that in ancient times such cooking techniques were not alien and to the European peoples. For example in ancient Rome loved the sauce made from rotten fish, and the Scandinavians, just like the peoples of the north, “salted” salmon by burying it in the ground for a long time

Even in ancient times, the Russians, Yakuts and Evens called the reindeer herders Chukchi. The name itself speaks for itself: “chauchu” - rich in deer. Deer people call themselves that. And dog breeders are called ankalyns.

This nationality was formed as a result of a mixture of Asian and American types. This even confirms that the Chukchi dog breeders and the Chukchi reindeer breeders have different attitudes to life and culture, as various legends and myths speak about this.

The linguistic affiliation of the Chukchi language has not yet been precisely determined; there are hypotheses that it has roots in the language of the Koryaks and Itelmens, and ancient Asian languages.

Culture and life of the Chukchi people

The Chukchi are accustomed to living in camps, which are removed and renewed as soon as the reindeer food runs out. In summer they go down closer to the sea. The constant need for resettlement does not prevent them from building fairly large dwellings. The Chukchi erect a large polygonal tent, which is covered with reindeer skins. In order for this structure to withstand strong gusts of wind, people prop up the entire hut with stones. At the back wall of this tent there is a small structure in which people eat, rest and sleep. In order not to get too steamy in their room, they undress almost naked before going to bed.

National Chukchi clothing is a comfortable and warm robe. Men wear a double fur shirt, double fur trousers, also fur stockings and boots made of identical material. A man's hat is somewhat reminiscent of a woman's bonnet. Women's clothing also consists of two layers, only the pants and top are sewn together. And in the summer, the Chukchi dress in lighter clothes - robes made of deer suede and other bright fabrics. These dresses often feature beautiful ritual embroidery. Small children and newborns are dressed in a bag made of deer skin, which has slits for arms and legs.

The main and daily food of the Chukchi is meat, both cooked and raw. Brains, kidneys, liver, eyes and tendons can be consumed raw. Quite often you can find families where they happily eat the roots, stems and leaves. It is worth noting the special love of the Chukotka people for alcohol and tobacco.

Traditions and customs of the Chukchi people

The Chukchi are a people who keep the traditions of their ancestors. And it doesn’t matter at all what group they belong to - reindeer herders or dog breeders.

One of the national Chukotka holidays is the Baydara holiday. The kayak has long been a means of obtaining meat. And in order for the waters to accept the Chukchi canoe for the next year, the Chukchi organized a certain ritual. The boats were removed from the jaws of the whale, on which she lay all winter. Then they went to the sea and brought it a sacrifice in the form of boiled meat. After which the canoe was placed near the home and the whole family walked around it. The next day the procedure was repeated and only after that the boat was launched into the water.

Another Chukchi holiday is the whale holiday. This holiday was held in order to apologize to the killed sea animals and make amends to Keretkun, the owner of the sea inhabitants. People dressed in smart clothes, waterproof clothes made from walrus guts and apologized to the walruses, whales and seals. They sang songs about how it was not the hunters who killed them, but the stones that fell from the cliffs. After this, the Chukchi made a sacrifice to the owner of the seas, lowering the skeleton of a whale into the depths of the sea. People believed that in this way they would resurrect all the animals they had killed.

Of course, one cannot fail to mention the festival of the deer, which was called Kilvey. It took place in the spring. It all started with the fact that the deer were driven to human dwellings, yarangas, and at this time the women lit a fire. Moreover, fire had to be produced, as many centuries ago - by friction. The Chukchi greeted the deer with enthusiastic cries, songs and shots in order to drive away evil spirits from them. And during the celebration, men slaughtered several adult deer to replenish food supplies intended for children, women and the elderly.