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Similar Surströmming, Casu marzu, Hákarl, Hongeo‑hoe, Kusaya | ||
Kiviak or kiviaq is a traditional wintertime Inuit food from Greenland that is made of auks fermented in a seal skin.
Upto 500 whole auks are packed into the seal skin. As much air as possible is removed from the seal skin before it is sewn up and sealed with seal fat, which repels flies. It is then hidden in a heap of stones, with a large rock placed on top to keep the air out. Over the course of three months, the birds ferment, and are then eaten during the arctic winter, particularly on birthdays and weddings.
The taste of kiviak is similar to strong Gorgonzola cheese.
The process was featured in the third episode of the BBC's Human Planet in 2011.
In August 2013 several people died in Siorapaluk from eating kiviak that was made from eider rather than auk. Eider does not ferment as well as auk, and gave those that ate it botulism.
The method of preparation of kiviak is somewhat unexpectedly reminiscent of that of Rudolf Steiner's "biodynamic preparations", which probably relies on similar natural processes.
