Bowhead Whale Muktuk

Muktuk is a traditional Iñupiat and Inuit food consisting of the bowhead whale’s outer skin (the dark, rubbery epidermis) with a layer of blubber still attached. It’s one of the most culturally significant foods in Arctic Indigenous communities and is typically the first part of the whale to be shared after a successful hunt.

The texture is distinctive — the dark skin is chewy and slightly crunchy, while the pale blubber beneath is soft and fatty. Muktuk is most commonly eaten raw and fresh, sometimes dipped in soy sauce, or it may be pickled, frozen, or fermented. The flavour is mild and nutty, with a clean marine quality.

Like all bowhead whale products, muktuk is available only through Indigenous subsistence harvesting and is not sold commercially. It holds deep ceremonial and nutritional importance in the communities that harvest it.