The diet of the Evenks includes meat, which in the seasons alternates with fish and plant foods. Since the Evenki hunters led a predominantly nomadic way of life, stockpiling for long periods was not typical for them. Therefore, hunting and fishing have developed the skills not to kill more than what is needed for food in the near future. The variety of food was determined by the seasons. In the spring, in March-April, the meat of artiodactyls and bears prevailed, alternating with a small amount of game. In May-June, fish were sometimes caught, and from the middle of July fresh berries were added to the meat or fish diet. Since the beginning of September, the amount of meat has increased. The meat was prepared for the winter in the form dried over the fire and dried in the sun. During frosts, large pieces of meat were frozen. For drying, raw or lightly boiled meat was cut in narrow strips and hung in the sun on the beams attached to boughs, or laid out on a willow wicker, which was strengthened over the hearth in the tepee.
The dried pieces were called hoolikta. In the summer, so that the meat does not spoil immediately, they hung it on a stick fixed on the branches of two trees or on two poles. The main methods of cooking meat food for all Evenks were boiling in water without spices with a very small amount of salt and frying sipavun without salt. The meat was cooked for a short time to preserve the flavor of the juices. Small pieces were also not fried to the end, while, depending on the type of meat, the rods were placed at different distances from the fire. Small game and brains were fried on the end of a stick. The tasty parts of meat were from under the dorsal tendons or from the back, tongue, brain and kidneys. Tongue, if there were many of them, were previously smoked.
They ate boiled meat with broth poured into cups. The meat, dried for 3-5 days, was fried on a spit or, crushing, mixed with berries. This dish was called kulin. The meat, dried in the sun for 2-3 days, was lightly smoked over the fire and eaten, mixed with lingonberries. It was called telik.
Собранную в пузырь кровь долго не хранили, при варке мяса ее подливали в бульон, одновременно взбалтывая. Получался густой суп таят. Летом в него добавляли голубицу и молоко. Некоторые обжаривали желудок, наполненный кровью. Оленье молоко обычно пили с чаем и заливали им мучную кашу, размятые ягоды. Если же молока было много, восточные эвенки ставили в котел с кипящей водой посуду с молоком и варили, последнее до загустения. Загустевшее молоко ели с хлебом. Некоторые из эвенков сбивали молоко для получения масла. Из частей туши приготовляли колбасы, “хрящи”, студень. Колбасы были с жиром – кучи и кровяные – буюксэ. Куни делали из толстой кишки, покрытой снаружи жиром.
Промыв кишку, выворачивали, и жир оказывался внутри. Такую колбасу обжаривали целиком на вертеле и ели сразу по приготовлению. Буюксэ делали из тонких кишок. Промыв их, выворачивали, наполняли жидкой кровью и перевязывали на концах, затем варили в кипятке или коптили над огнем. “Хрящи” изготовляли из тонких, хорошо вымытых кишок. Нарезав последние кусочками, обжаривали на вертеле или опускали в кипящую воду, где они сворачивались и становились похожими по виду и по вкусу на хрящи.
Some of the housewives cooked jelly from the hooves, peeled from the cornea and from the lower parts of the legs, which they ate with bread. Dried meat was eaten with tea, and meat flour was brewed in broth
Vegetable food was typical for the spring and summer seasons. In the spring, birch sap was collected. Some of the Evenks in the summer on the banks dug up the roots of umbrella plants, scraped, dried, pounded flour from them and brewed with water in the form of gruel. All the berries were eaten raw, washed down with tea, if there was enough milk, they feasted on motsh - mashed blueberry with reindeer milk.
The first pine nuts were eaten with the shell. Sometimes they were baked in ash and pounded, and then poured with boiling water until a gruel was formed. Wild onions were included in the diet only for certain groups of Evenks. The ritual dish was sevesh tekemin. It was made from boiled finely crumbled bear meat mixed with boiled fat and ate no more than 2-3 tablespoons. In the same way, some groups of Evenks prepared a wedding dish from the meat of ungulates. The most delicious pieces and parts were used for treats. In addition to meat dishes, the Evenki tried to get fish for treats, which was served boiled. Eastern groups from the Okhotsk coast for the wedding prepared various dishes from yukola and fishmeal with berry spices.
ОДЕХАЛ – ЗАПРЕТЫ
Livmi ollovo, ulleve eknekel munumsh-ggelemo, Nimerduvi bori cal. Dyulski umenwu allonier tin odshsas.
Когда будешь сытым, то оставшееся мясо и рыбу не выбрасывай и не держи, а поделись с соседом. Будешь выбрасывать или гноить – тебе на охоте больше не будет удачи, и ты останешься голодным.
Oron loklavan juntu beedu zhel debuvkene. Depmi, tykuldinan.
Don't let a stranger eat the upper cervical vertebra of a deer. Eat - get angry.
A.N.Myreeva, V.P. Marfusalova, Zh.V. Zakharova