WHALE MEAT IS GOOD FOOD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 40, 21 October 1946, Page 7

WHALE MEAT IS GOOD FOOD

BLUE VARIETY PROVIDES FINE STEAKS Recent reference in “Consumer Times” to whale meat as food has prompted an Invercargill correspondent of the Southland News to write details of his experience when a member of a whaling expedition. “Some years back,” he wrote, “I spent two seasons in the Antarctic with the Norwegian whalers, and two or three times each week we had whale meat for our mid-day meal. This was one of the best meals of the season.

“The whale meat, except for its slightly coarse texture, could not be distinguished from our rump steak. The Norwegians always fried it with onions and a thick gravy—a wonderful meal when you take into consideration that all provisions on the ship were dried, frozen, tinned or dehydrated. “However, one should not be very optimistic about quality or quantity of supply. When we wanted meat we had to wait until a young Blue whale was killed practically alongside the ship. “A young Blue whale was always used, as an old whale was too coarse in the flesh. Although we were catching Humpback and Finback whales as well as Blue, I was told that the other two species cannot compare with Blue for eating.

“All the flesh on a whale is not used. We used to flense the whale and then take the flesh from each side of the spine. It generally came off in blocks 2ft. by 2ft. by 2ft. These blocks were hung up to drain, and when wanted the flesh exposed to the air was cut off and the rest eaten. The meat used to hang for weeks and weeks and most of the time was frozen.

“We gave the Byrd -Expedition 100 tons of whale meat, but we were told that they did not eat it themselves. Their dogs got the lot. Little did they know what a wonderful feed they were missing. “However,” the writer concludes, “this note is written with the 'idea of letting you know that the business of getting whale meat for eating is not just as easy as the average man thinks.”