Bear Fat as a Sought-After Addition to Dried Fish

Tat’iana Tylkanova recalls her youth, when her father would return from hunting with bear meat, and they would eat dried fish (yukola) with bear fat – considered a special delicacy. In general, there was always a plentiful and diverse supply of food. They had fish, which was often eaten frozen, as well as dried caviar and reindeer meat. T. Tylkanova describes how these dishes were prepared and expresses a longing for the rich and flavorful food of the past, which is no longer available in the same way. She mentions that November was the usual time when her father went bear hunting.