Taimyr, the northern region of our country, evokes a spectrum of impressions. Some remember pristine, expansive nature; others recall the brutal, almost perpetual winter. Many cannot forget the dazzling yet wild beauty of the Putorana plateau in the peninsula’s southern reaches. If you’ve stood there, its memory stays for a lifetime.
Some recall the harsh city of Norilsk, yet equally vivid are the northern lights, the cultures of indigenous communities, the ancient city of Mangazeya, the Northern Sea Route, and countless facets of polar life. Yet the word Taimyr does not often come to mind as a destination for gastronomy. That impression proves mistaken; the author of these lines joined a gastronomic expedition titled Taimyr Salt, guided by a stellar team of chefs: Ekaterina Alekhina, Natalia Berezovaya, Anton Kovalkov, Georgy Troyan, and Nikita Poderyagin. The trip’s descriptions defy simple praise, with words like amazing or unforgettable seeming pale beside the actual experience.
The route began in Norilsk, traveling along the Norilsk River, then across the broad Melkoe Lake, onward past Glubokoe Lake to Lama Lake, nestled at the foot of the Putorana Plateau. From there, the journey moved to the plateau itself, pausing at the most spectacular and powerful waterfalls. The return journey traced a path through Dudinka to an island in the Yenisei’s middle. Every stop, every flight and every new direction offered fresh pleasure and discovery.
In Taimyr, the author was astonished by the abundance of remarkable products, many of which even locals might overlook. The region’s fish—whitefish, white salmon, and whitefish again—are caught by local fishermen, and the sight of pristine, orange-tinted whitefish caviar still abundant in Yenisei waters is unforgettable. Among the most surprising delights is Siberian sturgeon caviar, prized for its depth and subtle sweetness, a delicacy that many might not expect to find here.
Venison appears in many forms: raw, smoked, dried, baked, fried, and even as yukola. Yukola is a traditional Taimyr method of preservation—fish or meat is dried by the brisk Arctic wind without prior cutting, rendering it almost moisture-free and easy to portion later. This concentrated flavor amplifies the natural richness of the meat and fish, and the chefs used yukola as a kind of regional truffle, infusing dishes with a deep, aromatic intensity. Although a hot summer reduced hunting opportunities for wild birds, it brought an exceptional harvest of blackberries near Putorana. Each dawn during the expedition, travelers ventured into the tundra for cranberries and other berries, sometimes described as shiksha, while enjoying the crisp air and vast skies.
The last fruit described here is truly special: a glossy, blue-black berry with a juicy, chocolate-like flavor. Some of the chefs paired shiksha with cocoa to craft memorable desserts, highlighting how the region’s flora elevates contemporary cuisine.
Game, fish, and berries are staples familiar to locals, yet several ingredients remained unfamiliar to many. The kulcha, a small wild onion from the steppes, and arctic thyme—both abundant along the Lama River banks—were among these discoveries. Kulcha appears as slender green shoots topped with blue blossoms and is a distant relative of onions and garlic, offering a subtle sweetness and a delicate aroma that complements fried or boiled meats and fish. Arctic thyme, with its tiny branches, spreads across the tundra. Its aroma is intense enough to rival more familiar herbs, and in northern kitchens, it is imagined as a potential substitute for hops in brewing, a practice still explored today.
There is a clear sense that the water used to brew tea with arctic thyme flows from an unnamed river that feeds a nearby lake. The expedition demonstrates that a single shoreline beach can hold a wealth of botanical and gastronomic discoveries, and Putorana itself, though vast, can be imagined as comparable in scale to a nation’s countryside in terms of food opportunities. There remains time, until the following spring in early June, to prepare and explore.