IDENTITY: KNOWLEDGE

Gut Processing

Left: Diagram of Intestinal Layers. Drawing by Ellen Carrlee. Right: Scraping the inner mucosal layer with a spoon. Photo by Ellen Carrlee

3. Removing the Outer Layer

• The outer layer (muscularis externa) must be removed because it is smaller in diameter than the desired underlayer (submucosa) which is bunched up below.
• Often can be peeled with fingers.
• The outer layer can often be removed using about the amount of force needed to peel an orange.
• Tubular outer pieces can be cut up, lightly cooked, and eaten. This delicacy, known as “qiaq” in several arctic languages, is still widely enjoyed today.
• Qiaq looks a bit like thickly-sliced deli meat, but has a pleasant popping sensation when chewed.

4. Removing the Inner Layer

• The innermost layer (mucosa) is mushy and must be scraped from the inside of the tube.
• Cultural preference and the type of animal influence whether the submucosa is turned inside out for scraping.
• The tube can be inverted with a stream of water or a pebble.
• Some intestine can be scraped clean without inverting, as the bolus of material within can be seen through the translucent layer.
• Scraping is often done with a spoon, but in the past special scrapers were often made from ivory or bone. Sometimes clam shells were used.
• The inner layer can be kept and eaten in soups or other cuisine but is not prized as much as the outer layer.