Where people draw the line on what they eat
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Chesterfield Inlet (Apr 25/01) - We've all heard the stories about the guy who ate deep-fried bugs from the vendor's cart in Thailand.
It's no longer rare to hear the one about the woman who brought back chocolate-covered grasshoppers from her exotic holiday.
Most of us aren't surprised to see frogs' legs on a menu, but in a land where people eat most parts of all animals -- not to mention other assorted delicacies like igunaq (fermented walrus) and char eyeballs -- what exactly do Nunavummiut think is weird food?
One Chesterfield Inlet resident, who was too shy to give her name, said the feline world was where she put up her culinary walls.
"I was watching this national TV show and they were butchering cats and eating them," she said. "I'll never forget that. It was disgusting."
When asked if she wouldn't consider dabbling with a heaping helping of cat casserole even if she was really, really hungry, she remained adamant.
"No, I'd rather starve. Same with dogs."
Not everyone feels so strongly about dining on household pets -- particularly given the right set of circumstances.
John Gamble, a connoisseur of a whole host of animals, wouldn't pass up a cat burger if he was hungry enough.
"I think anybody would eat anything if they were starving to death," he said, responding to his neighbouring community member's distaste for meow.
"I've eaten squirrels, I've eaten crows, porcupines. I don't think cats would be too bad," said Gamble, a Rankin Inlet resident.
But there one food that makes John leave the table.
"Turnips," said Gamble. "I hated turnips when I was a kid and I still hate them."
In Baker Lake, Laurel Kreuger doesn't seem to be too picky about diet. Along with a steady stream of caribou and char, the eight-year resident has also feasted on narwhal muktaaq. She says sauerkraut and spicy food her favourites and has watched as people ate bugs during her time in Africa.
She tries to avoid junk food, sausage, hotdogs and baloney because of taste and nutritional content.
But, and this is a big one, Kreuger flat out refuses to eat Shadow (watch for the recurring theme here), her pet cat. However, when pressed, one couldn't be so sure that Kreuger would remain stalwart when faced with intense, burning hunger.
"I hope I don't ever have to test this out," she said.
