A Whale of a Tail….

Did you know, after a 20-year ban on commercial whaling, Iceland in 2006 resumed limited hunting of minke whale, one of the smallest and most numerous of the main whale species stated by The Wall Street Journal, article Supersize Me: Whale Meat Resurfaces on Iceland Menus.
“Whale was once among the least expensive mammal meats Icelanders could buy. We ate a lot of it back when we were all poor, says Gudlaug Thora Kristinsdottir, a cashier at Reykjavik’s popular Saegreifinn seafood shack”. Many want to make it a staple food for everyone. The Wall Street Journal states “Mr. Jonsson, 30 years old, wants whale to become more than comfort food for retirees and a novelty item for visitors.” Wow, I never thought that a restaurant would put whale on the menu and people would actually eat it, seems so wrong. On the other hand I’m from Alaska and it isn’t that far fetched, especially this time of year.
Alaskan Thanksgiving Feast: Whale Meat Posted on CBS news site, November 18, 2006 talks about Alaska’s native villages and what they eat for Thanksgiving.  ”tables this year will be set with store-bought turkey and all the trimmings. But alongside will be delicacies such as reindeer stew, moose roast, stuffed moose heart and whale-blubber salad. For dessert, there might be akutaq, which is whipped animal or vegetable fat that is mixed with sugar, berries and sometimes fish.” In our back yard people are eating whale and probably never think twice, it’s a normal day. I spend my days running to school and work and haven’t really thought about the people and communities that are outside the “Big city.” When I’m sitting down to eat turkey many people, just miles away, are eating whale and whale-blubber salad. What a wonderful, diverse state I live in. May I take your order?