Chukchi cuisine refers to subsistence foods and their methods of preparation used by the Chukchi people, one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia.[1]
The conquest of Siberia by the Russian Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, followed by smallpox and other epidemics, and then eventually the Soviet collectivization of the 20th century, led to great changes in the lives and diets of the Chukchi people. They are now mostly settled in towns in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug and surrounding areas, and regularly consume bread, vodka, and other food derived from agriculture and industrial production. Chukchi cuisine has over the centuries been heavily influenced by Russian cuisine. Preparation techniques include cooking on a hot stone, boiling, fermentation, and raw consumption.
The traditional cuisine is heavily dependent on meat, particularly reindeer meat and whale meat. The Chukchi were split into two groups, each with a different lifestyle. The Reindeer Chukchi, who called themselves the Chauchu ("rich in reindeer"), were semi-nomadic reindeer herders that inhabited the inland tundra.[2] The Maritime Chukchi, on the other hand, who were called Anqallyt ("sea (people)"), were settled whale hunters who inhabited the coastal areas.
Some dishes prepared by the Chukchi include:[3] [4]