Are you curious about Alaska food? Then you’ve arrived to the correct location!
You’ve come to the correct spot if you’re seeking for inspiration and an unusual flavor of the north. Eating is an important element of every journey, particularly one to Alaska. You’ll want to sample every one of the North’s amazing cuisine. Dining becomes an experience in and of itself since you are often away from the comforts of home.
The diversified topography and climate of Alaska provide a vast range of natural foods that have been a component of Alaskan native diet for thousands of years.
Salmon, oysters, and crab are among the most popular catches, and Alaskan seafood is some of the freshest in the world owing to rigorous sustainability standards. Add in a variety of game meats and dishes, which were initially consumed for survival by the earliest Alaskan inhabitants, and you have quite a diversified culinary landscape.
Food in Alaska is amazing, whether you are looking for a quick snack, shopping for fresh fish, or strolling through grocery shops.
Although you can get all of the standard foods in restaurants and cafés around Alaska, there are also some wonderful locations serving up local Alaskan delicacies to hungry customers.
With a distinct culinary culture to match the surroundings, it’s no surprise that Alaskan cuisine is as visually appealing as it is delicious. In this post, we’ll look at some of the most famous meals from the 49th state, as well as those inspired by Alaskan inhabitants. Therefore, whether you’re an Alaskan expat or simply traveling through, sit back and enjoy this feast of Alaska’s 10 must-try delicacies.
Are you planning to visit other places in Alaska? See our other guides:
- Interview with The Longest Way to Alaska: Extreme Budget Travelers
- 10 Best Anchorage Restaurants, Alaska
- 11 Best Restaurants In Fairbanks, Alaska
10 Alaskan Meals You Must Try
Sausage made with reindeer
Get a taste of Alaska with this specially crafted, grillable sausage prepared by Alaskan reindeer herders. Place it on a grill or pan and let the rich, smokey taste to shine through.
Alaskans have been preserving game meat for decades. There are also various smoked and cured meats made from non-native reindeer.
These creatures were brought to Alaska in the late 1800s. As a consequence, Alaska’s culinary industry has made its flesh a mainstay, with spicy reindeer sausage appearing on menus around the state. Reindeer sausages are a flexible meal that may be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or supper. They are seasoned, smoked, and occasionally paired with other cuts.
The texture of reindeer sausage, a blend of fatty and lean meat, gives it a delightfully chewy bite.
Reindeer sausage is available in almost every restaurant, and if you want to take this favorite on the road, pick up a pack of reindeer sausage jerky.
Salmon
Smoked salmon is a traditional Alaska cooking staple, and we all know how delicious it is. It may be eaten raw, smoked, baked, or on a bagel with cream cheese. So what about trying something new this time?
Consider a smoked salmon chowder bowl. You’re in for a treat if you’ve never tasted a chowder bowl! The salmon is so fresh that it melts in your tongue, and the chowder is so creamy and rich that it will fill you up quickly.
Spicy, meaty, yet delicate at the same time. Although many chowder recipes call for a variety of fish and shellfish, this Alaskan version requires just salmon to be tasty. Enjoy a locally smoked salmon dish that will take your taste senses on their own trip!
Cod (Black)
If you like seafood, you’re going to enjoy black cod! If you’ve never traveled to Alaska, you may be unaware of how delicious fresh black cod can taste. It’s a white fish that’s more delicate and tasty than any other fish you’ve ever had.
This fish is very excellent. It’s one of those things you should try at least once in your life because it’s that wonderful. Alaskans are famed for their Black Cod, which has been on their tables for millennia.
Before serving, they grill it to perfection with soy sauce and lemon juice, creating an unparalleled flavor experience. It’s seared on the exterior yet juicy and soft on the inside, and it’ll be the topic of your next dinner party!
Serve this delectable fish with rice or potatoes and steamed veggies for a hearty supper!
Chocolate Cake
I know the headline piqued your interest, so bear with me. In Alaska, chocolate bread is a must-try. The brownies are rich and delicious, but the chocolate bread takes the cake.
This baked item is unlike any other because of the mix of soft bread with semi-melted milk chocolate pieces; it virtually melts in your mouth! Delightful, delectable, and enticing!
It’s the best portable snack for an Arctic expedition, with juicy, dark chocolate pieces baked directly into the bread. This is delicious with coffee or on its alone, but make sure you have enough of napkins on hand!
Let your chocolate cravings to run wild since you won’t find anything like it outside of Alaska, unless you count paradise!
Halibut from the Pacific
It is Alaska’s biggest deep-water recreational fish and one of the most significant commercial captures in the state.
This flesh is white and flaky, with an incredible taste that makes it a delicious meal to consume. They’re grilled, seared, and baked, and they’re cooked in sauces and chowders.
The greatest way to sample Alaskan food is to order fried halibut in beer batter, which is essentially the state’s equivalent of boardwalk chips. A properly grilled fillet with a gently seasoned crust can’t go wrong. Nothing compares.
From spring until autumn, fresh food is available, with the summer months being the busiest. Halibut is available all year at most restaurants.
They are also sold in grocery shops and specialist seafood stores. Halibut fillets, like Chinook salmon, may be expensive depending on the catch and timing. Throughout the summer, keep an eye out for sales at grocery shops and warehouse retailers.
Dessert with Berries
If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, don’t pass up the chance to sample the greatest locally cultivated berries at their optimum. Berries are sometimes ignored because they seem simple, but they may be enjoyed in a variety of ways, and Alaska has many of them!
Berries shine whether poached or roasted, whole or juiced, pureed or battered.
They have blueberries, cranberries, salmonberries, raspberries, blackberries, and other wild berries. You should absolutely get something berry, and my personal favorites are High Bush Cranberry Jam and, of course, any wild berry cobbler.
Berry cobblers are another delicious way to use Alaskan berries. Visit a bakery and get a berry cobbler with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Your taste buds are in for a treat with a cake-like cover and caramelized sugar topping!
Ice Cream from the Arctic
Eskimo Ice Cream, also known as Agutuk or Aqutak, is a true Alaskan dish that few people get to try. The recipe for this Arctic delight may seem odd, but trust me when I say it is excellent!
This traditional delicacy was similar to ice cream and comprised animal fats, caribou meat, fish, berries, snow, and seal oil. This dish does not involve any cooking and instead depends on the natural freezing process of winter temperatures to create the delightful treat.
Despite the strange mix, the dish’s high fat content enabled it to tolerate harsh temperatures, and they ate it while hunting.
It turns out that the dish is more than simply ice cream with large bits of meat tossed in; it’s a cultural staple that relies on the land.
A bowl of akutaq like the Alaskan indigenous used to enjoy is now difficult to obtain. Thus, if you come across a traditionally constructed bowl, be sure to take it!
Muktuk
Alaskan cuisine is as diverse and daring as the state itself. When it comes to cuisine in Alaska, it all boils down to one thing: fish. Alaskans, however, have some very strange fish meals on their menu, in addition to the classic salmon dishes like fish and chips.
Muktuk is something you should attempt if you’re bold enough!
Muktuk is constructed from whale skin, blubber, or flesh. It may be consumed uncooked, frozen, filled with other meals, or jerked.
Muktuk is a popular menu dish among Alaskans. Native Americans have been eating this for almost 500 years, but Eskimos in Nome, Southcentral Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Denmark, and Siberia also consume it.
This classic meal might be difficult to prepare, but it is well worth the effort. The mix of crispy rough exterior and sweet fatty meat is a gourmet delight.
A favorite delicacy with many health advantages, including fertility!
Meat from Yaks
Yak meat has been more popular in the United States in recent years. You can find it at restaurants and marketplaces throughout the Country, whether it’s from experimental diners or those searching for a healthier option to beef or chicken. Yak-based items are now available in supermarkets and may be used to season anything from soups to steaks.
While yak is getting increasingly popular, it is still difficult to come by. It would be a joy to come upon this succulent and juicy beef example.
I promise you’ll like them whether you’re craving yak burgers, braised yak soup, grilled yak ribs, or simply plain yak meatballs. They have a great flavor and are leaner than other red meats like beef or hog, making them an excellent complement to any meal.
Toast the bread
That was love at first taste. Whether it’s the crispy, golden brown exterior or the pillowy, fluffy clouds on the interior that reminds you of a doughnut!
Fry Bread, commonly known as Indian Fry Bread, is a Native Alaskan custom. Native Alaskans had to make do with what they had before the white man arrived with their cookbooks and baking supplies. Harvest wheat flour, sugar, and lard or vegetable oil were used to make this healthful delicacy.
The classic snack will fulfill your carb needs. Fry Bread is made by squeezing dough into a circle, then pinching and folding the edges to form a crust-like top and flat bottom.
Fry Bread may be eaten alone or topped with honey, sugar, powdered fruit beverages, peanut butter, jam, ground fried meat, and other ingredients.
It is a custom that ties Alaskans to their ancestors. The circular, basic design evokes recollections of loved ones while also inspiring fresh memories to be shared with friends and family.
The Top 10 Must-Try Alaska Recipes
Alaska is home to some of the world’s most delectable cuisine. There are certain meals that are so well-known that it is almost difficult to avoid them while visiting.
Alaska’s indigenous cuisine and tastes help define the culture and preserve traditions. You may sample Alaska for yourself by fishing your own food or eating a meal cooked by a native.
So set a table, grab a napkin or two, and enjoy your next traditional Alaskan supper.