Yukola

Yukola is called jerky fish, which is prepared in a special way. Interestingly, this product has long been used by fishermen and hunters, since yukola is perfectly stored. They harvest it from a variety of varieties and types of fish, in particular those that abound in the area.

It is believed that the best yukola can be prepared from fatty varieties of fish, for example, chira, muksuna or whitefish. This is due to the high fat content in their meat, thanks to which yukola based on them always turns out to be very nutritious and quite soft, which is required in hiking conditions.

The very process of making a yucole is not too difficult. First of all, fresh fish are prepared, the carcasses of which are thoroughly washed in water, and then gutted. After that, they are cut along the spine, and, slightly not reaching the tail.

Thus, the fish carcass is divided into two halves, which are connected in the tail region. By the way, you can leave your head on one of the halves, or you can separate it altogether. In addition, cutting out the spine and large bones is considered the preferred step, but this is at the request of the cook.

Yukola from whitefish or muksun, as a rule, does not salt, so if you plan to cook it by analogy with Siberian recipes, do not use salt and spices. The fish hangs on ropes in the shade, while preferably in the wind. Keeping carcasses in the sun is also not worth it, since in this case the yukola will turn out to be too dry and will not take on a particularly appetizing look. Now it remains only to wait for the forces of nature to do their job.

It is worth noting that the cooking time of the yukol may depend not only on natural conditions, but also on the size of the fish itself. To speed up this process, some fishermen make transverse cuts on fish carcasses, which will allow Yukole to drain faster.

Basically, ready-made yukola is used as a snack for a foam drink, and it can also be simply chewed on the go or added to various dishes - for example, in soup or porridge. By adding such cured meat, the food will not only acquire the taste and aroma of the fish, but will also become much more rich and satisfying.

In addition, whitefish or muksun yukol is often used in the preparation of various salads. Such fish are quite soft in texture and have a wonderful taste, so it fits well with many products.