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Meat from Northwest Greenland

Kiviaqkiviaq (Greenlandic)

Kiviaq is an Inughuit food of northwest Greenland. In spring, freshly caught little auks are stuffed whole, feathers and all, into a fresh seal pelt that keeps its blubber; the air is pressed out, the skin is sewn shut and it ferments in a rock cache. It is eaten mainly at celebrations.

A short entry: the sources we found record only what is said here about Kiviaq itself.

Short entryMeat3 months

Recipe

Amounts from a sourceNo fixed amounts. Families make enough for coming celebrations; the bird count is the upper figure given by Wikipedia.
Freshly caught little auks, whole with feathers[mosbech2018]
Little auks (count per skin)up to 500 birds[s1]
Freshly caught seal pelt, thick blubber layer left on[mosbech2018]

Total time across the recorded steps: 3 months

Start
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What changes: Whole birds, feathers and all, are stuffed into a seal pelt that keeps its blubber

Step 1 of 3
Stuff the birds into the seal pelt
Time
Not documented
Temperature
Not documented
Salt
None given
Acidity
Not documented

Made in spring, with a freshly caught seal and freshly caught birds. Output: filled pelt.

Flavour
Not documented
Texture
Not documented
Colour
Not documented

Microbes at work in this step

Not documented for this step.

Method

Measured measured in a studySet fixed by a specification or tested recipeReported one source reports itTypical a general value, not sourced for this fermentUnconfirmed not yet checked against a source

At a glance

Kiviaq is an Inughuit food of northwest Greenland. In spring, freshly caught little auks are stuffed whole, feathers and all, into a fresh seal pelt that keeps its blubber; the air is pressed out, the skin is sewn shut and it ferments in a rock cache. It is eaten mainly at celebrations. Made in 3 steps over 3 months. The longest step, ferment in a rock cache, takes 3 months (Wikipedia).

Key numbers
Main step3 monthsReported[s1]Ferment in a rock cache

What makes this one different

Kiviaq ferments whole seabirds, feathers and beaks included, inside a sewn seal pelt rather than in a pot or pit lining. The pelt's own blubber surrounds the birds.

Related ferments

Variants

  • Eider or murre kiviaqMade with larger birds that need a longer fermentation; the 2013 Siorapaluk botulism outbreak was linked to it (Dietz 2018).

Safety

This page records a traditional practice; it is not a recipe to follow. The airtight pelt allows Clostridium botulinum to grow, and no source here names anything in the method that stops it. In 2013 a kiviaq in Siorapaluk caused foodborne botulism (toxin type E); two people died. That kiviaq was reported to have been made from larger birds (eiders or thick-billed murres), which need a longer fermentation, and it was stored in a plastic bag after opening. Those details do not show that other kiviaq is safe, and the sources give no temperature, salt or pH that controls the risk. The toxin cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, and even a small taste can be deadly (CDC).

Hazards the sources name: Clostridium botulinum type E (toxin E found in patients who ate traditionally preserved eider fowl, Siorapaluk 2013).

History and sources

Every number is labelled with how it is known. How this atlas is made

Many families use the same rock cache as their parents and grandparents. Wikipedia says Knud Rasmussen's death is attributed to food poisoning from kiviaq.

  1. [mosbech2018] Mosbech A., Johansen K.L., Davidson T.A., Appelt M., Grønnow B., Cuyler C., Lyngs P. and Flora J. 2018, On the crucial importance of a small bird, the ecosystem services of the little auk (Alle alle) population in Northwest Greenland in a long-term perspective, Ambio 47(Suppl 2), 226–243, doi:10.1007/s13280-018-1035-x (full text, PMC6524626)paper
  2. [dietz2018] Dietz R., Mosbech A., Flora J. and Eulaers I. 2018, Interactions of climate, socio-economics, and global mercury pollution in the North Water, Ambio 47(Suppl 2), doi:10.1007/s13280-018-1033-z (full text, PMC5963567)paper
  3. [hammer2015] Hammer T.H., Jespersen S., Kanstrup J., Ballegaard V.C., Kjerulf A. and Gelvan A. 2015, Fatal outbreak of botulism in Greenland, Infectious Diseases 47(3), 190–194, doi:10.3109/00365548.2014.979434 (abstract)paper
  4. [cdc-prev] CDC, Preventing botulism (botulism prevention page)gov
  5. [s1] Wikipedia, Kiviakwiki