Carb content of matured meats? Inuit/Eskimo diet develop carbs on preserving meats

(João Pedro Abecasis) #1

The other day when I was talking to a doctor and told him about my LCHF diet, he basically responded “you are doing an Inuit (Eskimo) diet” which I never thought about.

Then l looked I looked it up, and if you see Wikipedia on Inuit diet and in nutrition there is one part the got me thinking of matured meats which I love:

“The Inuit practice of preserving a whole seal or bird carcass under an intact whole skin with a thick layer of blubber also permits some proteins to ferment, or hydrolyze, into carbohydrates”

MY question is, would the process of maturing meat also develop carbohydrates? As I was assuming a matured steak would only include fat and protein. Any thought on this?

(Chris Bair) #2

A google search for “protein hydrolyze into carbohydrates” leads me to believe that proteins break down into shorter amino acids and carbohydrates break down into shorter chain sugars. I didn’t see anything about proteins converting into carbohydrates.

(Richard Morris) #3

Have you heard of hákarl? It’s a fermented Icelandic shark and it is reputed to be one of the worst smelling foods. And this is in a world that includes Surströmming.

Anyway they behead a shark and ferment it in a pit in the sand, and it comes out smelling of ammonia.but it apparently tastes sweet. I suspect part of the fermentation process the protein in the flesh is converted into ammonia and carbohydrates and fats.

(João Pedro Abecasis) #4

Was not aware of that but there is a probably similar dish in Portugal with a small shark (I am from Portugal). In one region of Portugal, Ericeira, we have a traditional dish for the brave. It’s called “Caneja de Infundice” which is small shark that is rotten and boiled after that. Have never tried it but it is said to smell like a very used urinol (piss toilet).
It has quite a group of fans and people that like it usually have it only during around one month per year and swear it’s good.
Will probably try it someday.
Have heard only of the rotten salmon in Sweden and tried to sample or by it there - because they have it cans, but could not find in Stockholm - it’s not common apparently.

#5

If ammonia is a product of the fermentation, then I suspect secondary reactions with the breakdown of fats, called “saponification”. It’s like when you touch chlorine bleach with your fingers, you get a slimy film form on your skin. Alkaline products in the presence of lipids will breakdown the fats into glycerol and fatty acids salts (soap). The pioneers and our ancestors knew this and this is how they made soap (tallow and ashes mixed together).

(Dustin Cade) #6

I do believe I saw a travel channel episode about these sharks, can’t remember if it was bizarre foods or no reservations… it’s because they are cold water sharks and are poison unless processed in this manor…

(Stickin' with mammoth) #7

This is the coolest thread in here yet. Tim Noakes mentions the dude (don’t recall his name) who lived with arctic tribes for many months and came back to the city only to find modern foods sickened him. The man went on to demonstrate to non-believing scientists/doctors in his day that you could thrive without carbs by using himself as a guinea pig and doing it a second time. A search on that story may yield some interesting stuff.

#8
(Richard Morris) #9

Oh yeah Surströmming - it’s pickled herring and it’s illegal in Sweden to open a can inside. So everyone eats it outside on midsommer. I remember picnicking on an island in the Stockholm Archipelago and someone opened a can and it emptied the island. Seriously … like an island about 100m across with 20 or 30 people on it … everyone in a rush to get into their boats to sail off and get away from that smell.

#10

:laughing: crazy Vikings leave it up to them to come up with that recipe