Arctic char

Aulavik National Park, Auyuittuq National Park, Gullfoss

What it is

Arctic char is a cold-water fish in the same family as salmon and trout. It lives in alpine lakes and in Arctic and subarctic coastal waters. Its flesh runs from bright red to pale pink. It is firm, with a mild flavour somewhere between trout and salmon. Cooks boil it, pan-fry it, smoke it or air-dry it. Some char spend part of the year in the sea and return to fresh water to spawn. In northern Canada it is called iqaluk in Inuktitut.

Where it comes from

Arctic char is native to alpine lakes and to Arctic and subarctic coasts. It is found in the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, Siberia and Alaska. No other freshwater fish lives farther north. In Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island, it is the only fish, and it has fed people in that region for thousands of years. Fisheries matter to the Inuit and to many circumpolar people, and most Canadian commercial fisheries are in Nunavut. Today it is also farmed in Iceland, Norway and elsewhere.

How it is made

Much of the wild char is caught near communities, mostly with gill nets. Fishers also take it from cold rivers and coastal waters, and boats bring it into harbours. In the kitchen, it is boiled, pan-fried, poached, grilled, baked, smoked or air-dried. In Iqaluit, kitchens usually pan-fry or smoke it and serve it with potatoes and greens. Farmed char is raised from eggs in hatcheries, then in tanks, and fed pellets with carotenoids that give it a coral colour.

How it is eaten

Char is eaten in many plain ways. Pan-fried fillets are common, and so are baked dishes. Smoked char and air-dried char are eaten too. In Iqaluit it comes with potatoes and greens. In Iceland it is often grilled, smoked or lightly dressed, and the flavour is mild and delicate. In Nunavut, it is often a home-cooked meal or part of a community gathering. Ask a local host how it is prepared.

Where to try it

In Iqaluit, kitchens in town serve it, though only in some seasons. In Qaqortoq, boats bring it to the harbour, and it appears at restaurants and casual lunch counters. Near Auyuittuq and Sirmilik National Parks, look for home kitchens and community feasts. Around Aulavik National Park, Inuvik eateries list it. In Iceland, Seljalandsfoss and Gullfoss have regional eateries serving it. At Landmannalaugar, a converted school bus shop sometimes sells it fresh, but stock is unpredictable.

Sources

Wikipedia, “Arctic char” (CC BY-SA 4.0): the facts.

Picture 1: photograph (cropped) — Arctic charr smoked fillet (cropped).jpg — Yozh, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Picture 2: photograph (cropped) — Salvelinus alpinus 311639131.jpg — Alison Copeland, CC BY 4.0.

Picture 3: photograph (cropped) — Arctic char drying outside in Ulukhaktok, Victoria Island, Canada.jpg — Stephan Sprinz, CC BY 4.0.

Picture 4: photograph (cropped) — Arctic Char (2342713544).jpg — Mack Male from Edmonton, AB, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Picture 5: photograph (cropped) — Yukon Arctic Char, english and snap pea, leek and chive risotto with Vancouver Island octopus, organic olive oil and potato foam (5895313685).jpg — Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0.