Greenlandic suaasat with seal meat, potatoes, and barley.

Silversea Expeditions: Exploring Greenlandic Cuisine

We’re exploring Greenlandic cuisine as we continue our journey with Silversea Expeditions.

Unlike my beautiful bride, I love exploring local cuisines on our journeys.

Greenlandic cuisine is a unique reflection of its Arctic environment, deeply rooted in the traditions of hunting and fishing due to the limited availability of imported foods.

The harsh climate and remote location make local ingredients essential to the diet.

A cornerstone of Greenlandic cuisine is suaasat, a traditional soup made from a variety of meats such as seal, whale, or reindeer, often mixed with potatoes, onions, and grains like rice or barley. This dish is emblematic of the resourcefulness required to thrive in such a challenging environment.

Another distinctive dish is mattak, which consists of whale skin and blubber. It is typically consumed raw and is valued for its high vitamin C content, crucial for preventing scurvy. Seafood, particularly Arctic char and halibut, plays a significant role in the diet, alongside fermented fish dishes like amassat. Greenlandic cuisine is a fascinating blend of survival, cultural heritage, and evolving culinary practices.

Exploring Greenlandic Cuisine in Nuuk

The night before we arrived in Nuuk, Greenland, our cruise director recommended that we visit the Greenland Cultural Center for a sampler plate of the local cuisine.

Now, I was excited to learn about Nuuk’s history, but honestly, I was most excited to experience the local foods.

Above is a photograph of my Greenlandic sampler plate. Let me describe these foods starting in the bottom left corner and moving clockwise:

1. Musk Ox – It was lean meat; if you didn’t know better, you would think it was beef.
2. Cod – I enjoyed the culinary experience, but it was too salty for my taste.
3. Arctic Char – Similar to salmon, it is a staple of the region. I liked it.
4. Reindeer – Called caribou in North America, reindeer is another staple of the Greenlandic diet. The meat has a mildly gamier taste than musk ox but isn’t so strong as to be offensive.
5. Shrimp – We’ve all enjoyed a shrimp salad.
6. Mattak – This is whale skin and blubber. In this case, the whale was a narwhal. I would describe the texture as somewhat rubbery, but I enjoyed it.

A man relishing the aroma

I have an acute olfactory system. I can smell things my wife can’t, and I also enjoy the taste of food significantly more than she does.

As I was enjoying my lunch, Carol asked, “How is it?” My response: “It’s different, and you know how I enjoy different.”

As you likely know, food is a large part of the traveling experience. You know, pasta in Italy, snails in France, salads in Greece, it’s all part of the experience.

And so, too, in the Arctic, you must also experience and enjoy the local cuisine. Carol didn’t, but I did, and I immensely enjoyed it.

Stay tuned; I can’t wait to tell you about the foods we sampled in Sisimut, Greenland. Hint: I have a sample picture at the top of this article. 🙂

Stay tuned for more of our exciting adventures as we report experiences from our 14-day Arctic cruise with Silversea Expeditions.

For more information or to book an exciting Silversea Expedition cruise, please call Roaming Boomers Travel Services at (480) 550-1235 or use our convenient online information request (click here), and we’ll reach out to you.

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This article was written with the aid of Perplexity AI. Roaming Boomers Travel Services is an independent affiliate of Cadence and a Virtuoso® member. CST#201120-40