The main food of Koryak reindeer herders was reindeer meat, usually boiled. The reindeer's bone marrow, kidneys, cartilage and leg tendons were eaten raw. Blood and the contents of the deer's stomach were used to make chowder. Frozen meat was used in winter. Frozen meat was eaten on the road. Deer hooves were sautéed in blood, young antlers were eaten boiled. Fish was consumed a little, boiled in summer and yukola (a sun-dried fish) in winter. Yukola was procured in summer or traded with seaside inhabitants.
The main food of coastal settled Koryaks was fish: boiled fish in summer, yukola and fermented (‘sour’) fish in winter. The upper part of the fish head - brain, cartilage, eyes - was eaten raw and considered a delicacy. Meat of marine animals (seals, beluga whales) was boiled or frozen. The fat of marine animals was valued; it was eaten raw or ghee, mixed with meat or yukola.
Dried meat was prepared in advance. For cooking soups and broths they used crushed bones, udders and blood of deer. Fish fillets, fish backs and bellies were dried. On fishing they sauteed sour heads and caviar. Coastal Koryaks made poke from rubbed seal meat, yukola or dried caviar; nomadic Koryaks made it from venison. Fat, berries and edible plants were added to the dish. Instead of tea they brewed fresh rose bay leaves. Berries and nuts were prepared for winter.
The Koryaks used various edible plants in large quantities as condiments for meat dishes and as separate dishes. From imported products they used tea and sugar. Flour consumption was insignificant. Leaf tobacco was widespread. The fly agaric and intoxicating agent was used. From the end of the 19th century, purchased products became more and more widespread: flour, cereals, tea, sugar.
Dictionary
Meat
- Venison – кинуӈи
- Bearded seal meat – мэмылытг’ол
- Mountain lamb meat – кытэпатг’ол
- Bear meat – кайӈытг’ул
- Moose meat – в’эпӄатг’ол
- Hare meat – милютэтг’ул
Fish, marine animals and poultry
- Fish – ынныын
- Yukola (sun-dried fish) – тэв’г’эл
- Fish soup – ачг’ан
- Spit-roasted fish – юпытг’ул
- Stroganina (slices of frozen fish or meat served cold) – ӄитуӄит
- Fish head – лэв’ыт
- Hump (of pink salmon) – ӄаяӄай
- Fish fillet – гиӈыл
- Fish back – чичыӄ
- The belly of a fish – в’ачым
- Fermented fish head – в’иллэв’ту
- Fish roe – лэлӈын
- Marine animal fat – валивал
- Walrus meat – йыйка
- Sea calf meat – калилг’ытг’ул
- Bird eggs – лив’ливу
Animal body parts
- Kidneys – кычимат
- Bone marrow – ӄымыл
- Cartilages – кэв’кэву
- Eyes – лылат
- Blood – кив’ыл
- Gizzard – нанӄыин
- Crushed bones – г’ытг’ыму
- Hooves – яйпу
Dishes
- Venison cutlets – чычгытал
- Frozen meat (or stroganina) – ӄитыӄит
- Dried meat – пыг’атг’ол
- Tolkusha – тылӄытыл
- Broth – ыпаӈа
- Blood soup (traditional dish) – кэв’лыпаӈа
Plants and mushrooms
- Saranac roots – йымӈыйын
- Cow-parsnip – аӈаӈ
- Wild potatoes – кымчек
- Onion – маёӄыл
- Wild onion – таёлгымаёӄыл
- Leaves of rose bay – йив’йичг’ын
- Berries – ывынг’у
- Nuts – в’унэв’
- Dog-bramble – ойпыткочг’ын
- Cranberry – ӄоелӈывынг’ын
- Fly-agaric – в’апаӄ
Groceries
- Tobacco – пылёткан
- Flour – юпиӈ (превъянтын)
- Tea – чайчай
- Sugar – чаӄар, чольчоль
Literature
- History and Culture of the Koryaks. Under the general editorship of Academician A.N. Krushanov. St. Petersburg. ‘Nauka’. 1993. P. 38-43.
- V.I. Yokhelson. Koryaks. Material culture and social organisation. St. Petersburg. ‘Nauka’. 1997. P.108-116.
- E.P. Pronina. Picture dictionary of the Koryak language. St. Petersburg. 2003. P. 34-38, 98-99.
- Wild plants of the Koryak Autonomous District, their use in the daily life of the Koryaks. Material collected by G.K.Avev. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky . 2004 г.
- V.V. Antropova. Culture and life of the Koryaks. Leningrad. 1971. P. 64-66.
