Urumiit facts for kids
Urumiit (pronounced oo-roo-neet) is a special food for the Inuit people in Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. It is made from the droppings of two types of birds: the rock ptarmigan and the willow ptarmigan. While this might sound unusual, Urumiit is considered a tasty treat in Inuit culture.
What is Urumiit?
Urumiit comes from the droppings of ptarmigan birds. These birds eat plants like willow and birch. When the birds digest these plants, the droppings contain nutrients that are still useful. Inuit people collect these droppings, especially during the cold winter months.
Why is Urumiit Eaten?
In the Arctic, finding food can be very hard, especially in winter. Urumiit provides an important source of nutrition when other foods are scarce. The ptarmigan droppings are already partly digested plant matter, offering needed energy and nutrients in a harsh environment. One ptarmigan can leave many droppings in one spot, making them easy to find and gather.
How is Urumiit Prepared?
Urumiit is usually collected when it has dried out in the winter. Fresh droppings from summer are not typically eaten. Once collected, the small, pellet-shaped droppings are often cooked. They are usually prepared in aged seal fat. Sometimes, seal or ptarmigan meat or blood is mixed in with the Urumiit during cooking. The smell of cooked Urumiit in aged fat has been compared to strong cheeses like Gorgonzola.
Food and Culture
Urumiit is a great example of how different cultures have different ideas about what tastes good. What one group of people finds delicious, another might find surprising. This shows how food is a big part of a culture's history and how people adapt to their environment.
