Taimyr, the northernmost region of our country, evokes various connotations. Someone considers the majestic untouched nature, someone considers the incredibly harsh climate with almost eternal winter. One remembers the dazzling yet extremely wild beauty of the Putorana plateau in the south of the peninsula (if you’ve been there, you really can’t forget it for the rest of your life).
Someone considers the equally brutal city of Norilsk (which is also unforgettable). You can remember the northern lights, the culture of the indigenous peoples, the mystical ancient city of Mangazeya, the Northern Sea Route and many other aspects of polar life. But I doubt that at least one of the words “Taimyr” would consider gastronomic delicacies. And in vain – the author of these lines was lucky to visit Taimyr on the gastronomic expedition “Taimyr Salt” in the company of excellent chefs: Ekaterina Alekhina, Natalia Berezovaya, Anton Kovalkov, Georgy Troyan and Nikita Poderyagin. And the words “amazing, amazing, unforgettable” and other excellent nicknames would be too gray and pale to describe this experience.
Our route was from Norilsk along the Norilsk River, along the great Melkoe Lake, past the small Glubokoe Lake to Lama Lake, wedged between the mountain spurs at the very foot of the Putorana Plateau. Then – to the plateau with several stops at the most beautiful and powerful waterfalls. Then – in the opposite direction, passing Dudinka to one of the islands in the middle of the Yenisei. And not just every new stop, but every movement or flight between them meant a new pleasure.
Arriving in Taimyr, I was amazed at how many truly wonderful products there are, which sometimes even the locals do not know: unfortunately far from all of them, they are accustomed to looking around with a curious look (what is there, people are further south and , much more abundant regions seem to behave exactly the same way) ). Of course, you can not ignore the wonderful fish – whitefish, white salmon, whitefish – caught by local fishermen. It’s impossible not to admire the freshest, orange-orange whitefish caviar still abundant in the Yenisei waters, and the more unexpected (and incredibly delicious) Siberian sturgeon caviar.
Of course, venison of all kinds and methods of preparation – raw, smoked, dried, baked, fried and in the form of yukola. Yukola is a special, primitive Taimyr method of preparing food: drying specially cut fish and (less often) meat in the strongest Arctic wind. The product almost completely loses moisture, literally dries out – without preliminary cuts, it would be impossible to cut it later.
Yukola incredibly intensifies the taste of the product and is stored almost forever – the chefs used it as a kind of Taimyr truffles, seasoning their dishes with fish or meat concentrate. Unfortunately, the very hot summer deprived most of the wild northern birds of food, hunting for it was severely limited, and the chefs, of course, did not allow them to cook this product. But the warm summer gave an incredible harvest of blackberries on the outskirts of Putorana. Every morning travelers would go to the tundra for cranberries, cranberries, cranberries, and shiksha.
The last fruit, known only in the northernmost regions, is absolutely wonderful: shiny, blue-black, very juicy, with a completely different chocolate flavor. Some wise chefs combine shiksha with cocoa to make wonderful desserts.
But game, fish and fruits are expected products and are of course known to the locals. But none of them had heard of the kulcha – steppe wild onion – and arctic thyme, which are abundant on the banks of the Lama. Kulcha – small green arrows with lush blue flowers. Obviously, this is one of the wild ancestors of both onions and garlic, as the taste and aroma of this herb are very similar to both. Kulcha is actively used in the steppes of Southern Siberia, in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, but they are not known at all in the north, but in vain – with all the bright aroma of onions and garlic, kulcha is completely devoid of sharpness and perfectly accompanies fried and boiled meat or fish.
Like a liana, arctic thyme spreads throughout the stony soil of the tundra. Its branches are very small, like the youngest thyme in temperate latitudes. But, as often happens, Arctic thyme compensates for its size with incredible aroma. For example, in Iceland, it is actively used as an alternative to hops that do not ripen on the island – in brewing. It seems that in our North it is quite possible to do the same.
Well, is it worth mentioning that we get the water of the tea we brew with this thyme directly from the nameless river that pours into the lake?
And you must understand that only one beach on the shore of a lake has been subject to such close botanical and gastronomic scrutiny, and Putorana is roughly the same as the whole of England in area. There is place to look for food for lunch. Until next spring (i.e. early June) there is plenty of time to prepare.
Source: Gazeta
Dolores Johnson is a voice of reason at “Social Bites”. As an opinion writer, she provides her readers with insightful commentary on the most pressing issues of the day. With her well-informed perspectives and clear writing style, Dolores helps readers navigate the complex world of news and politics, providing a balanced and thoughtful view on the most important topics of the moment.