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January 9, 2008
Blubber Ice Cream?
I scream, you scream, we all scream for....Blubber Ice Cream? Well, not exactly, but this weekend, while studying native diets in my nutrition course at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I learned that the native diet of Alaskan Eskimos included not only a substantial amount of whale, seal or walrus blubber (or fat) but the original Eskimo Ice Cream, was made from it! Eskimo Ice Cream, called Akutaq (pronounced agoodik), was traditionally made from sweetened whipped blubber and wild berries (with a few other unsavory ingredients such as fish liver or dried salmon eggs). These days the natives make akutaq out of crisco, sugar, dried fruits and frozen berries, but it's still a far cray from the creamy vanilla ice cream encased in rich dark chocolate we know as an Eskimo Pie.
Either way, I always thought the idea of Eskimos eating ice cream was quite strange. Who wants to eat ice cream in the middle of artic weather? Apparently kids do. In fact, kids will eat ice cream in just about any weather. As my niece Gracie says,
"Who wouldn't like ice cream?"
She's quite right. So in the spirit of the Eskimos, my nieces, Kate and Grace, and my nephew, Benjamin spent many hours in the back yard surrounded with 2 feet of snow, filling their igloo kitchen with snow popcorn, snow pie, snow cake and of course, snow ice cream! The snow popcorn, and snow pie (cut into 8 generous wedges, I might add) required a bit of imagination, but good ole' Granddad was quick to point out that snow ice cream is very real, and produced an old recipe for one made with freshly fallen snow mixed with sweetned milk!
Before you wag your finger like an old grumpy neighbor ("don't eat that snow--it's full of dust!"), go outside and plop back into some freshly fallen snow. Flap your arms and legs back and forth (yes, you're making a snow angel) then turn your head to one side, stick out your tongue and gather up a moutful of fluffy whiteness. MMMMmmmm.
One health nut pointed out to me that snow ice cream is also low-fat. I think he may have missed the point.
Sarah Copeland, Food Network Kitchens
Posted by Food Network at January 9, 2008 9:12 PM
Comments
In college, my friends and I would gather fresh snow from outside our window and make slushees with the fresh snow and some (ahem) electric blue colored alcoholic drink :)
Now, I can't keep my kids away from the snow... they love to eat it!
Posted by: Sharon at January 12, 2008 12:21 AM
As Junior liason for the Longview Chapter of the Texas Chefs Assoc., I have taken clips like this to the students at the area high schools and they seem very interesed in the different culture things that are real---now they are all wishing that we would get some snow here in East Texas!! Thanks for the info.
Chef Debbie Fleming
Posted by: Debbie Fleming at January 16, 2008 9:41 AM
Sarah,
I'm with your niece Gracie " Who wouldn't like ice cream." I don't care what season it is. Anytime, anyplace and in any season I'm an ice cream girl. Frozen yogurt just won't do.
We always used snow to make pretend food outside while playing in our snow fort. Those were the days! Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Will we see a recipe on FN for the Blubber Ice Cream?
Posted by: Kathy at January 17, 2008 3:41 PM
I don't care what other people say. Winter is the best time to eat ice cream! During the summer, you only really appreciate the coldness of the ice cream. It's during the winter you can really enjoy all of the flavors and textures of ice cream, frozen yogurt, gelato, snow cones, and any other frozen treats!
Posted by: Monica at January 24, 2008 4:23 PM