Alaska, the Last Frontier, offers a unique and unexpected culinary landscape for food and drink enthusiasts. From the pristine North Pacific Ocean’s abundant seafood to the flavorful fruits and vegetables grown in rich glacial soils under near-endless daylight, Alaskan cuisine is truly special. Local chefs and brewers, often independent entrepreneurs or family businesses, create intriguing meals and beverages in venues across the state, shaping a distinctive Alaskan culinary experience.
Seafood
Alaska is a prime destination for sampling wild-caught seafood, harvested sustainably thanks to strict regulations. Alaskan salmon, especially, is plentiful, healthy, and considered a “superfood.”
Chinook Salmon
The largest Pacific salmon species and Alaska’s state fish, Chinook salmon (or kings) can grow up to three feet long and weigh 25 to 60 pounds. Alaskans appreciate their size and strong flavor, preparing them as fillets or steaks grilled over charcoal or open flame. The oily red flesh is tender and melts in your mouth, with Copper River kings known for their almost fudge-like consistency.
Kings are available from May to July, with June being the peak season. Most restaurants serve king salmon during the fishing season and into winter. Fresh king salmon can also be found in grocery stores and specialty seafood retailers, but expect it to be the most expensive fish on the menu.
Sockeye Salmon
Sockeye salmon is Alaska’s most commercially important salmon, with millions caught each year. They are a staple for Alaskans and visitors alike, often caught with rod-and-reel or personal-use nets.
Rich and meaty, sockeyes have firm red flesh and a medium flavor. They are perfect for summer grilling, but can also be baked, poached, seared, or smoked. Leftovers are often used in chowders, soups, cakes, and salmon salad.
Sockeye season runs from June to August, with July being the prime time. Many restaurants serve sockeye salmon starting in July, and fresh fillets can be found at grocery and warehouse stores, often at bargain prices.
Coho Salmon
Coho salmon, also known as silver salmon, are popular sport fish known for their fight. They return to Alaska’s rivers from July to October, with the largest concentrations in August and September.
With a more delicate and subtle flavor than sockeye or king salmon, coho salmon has orange-red flesh. They are typically grilled, baked, seared, or poached. Some Alaskans consider coho salmon to have the perfect taste and texture.
Coho salmon is available fresh from July to September, with August as the peak season. Many restaurants serve coho salmon starting in late July or early August. You can also find them in grocery stores and specialty seafood retailers, often at a similar price to sockeye salmon.
Pink Salmon
The smallest Pacific salmon, pink salmon, or “humpies,” converge on rivers and estuaries in vast numbers. Male pink salmon develop a distinctive hump and hooked jaw during spawning.
While a staple of the canning and seafood products industry, pink salmon are not known for the same rich, oily flavor as king, sockeye, and coho salmon. They usually don’t appear on restaurant menus, except in salmon cakes or chowder.
However, when caught fresh before they morph, pink salmon are great for grilling, especially when seasoned with a spicy rub. Many Alaskans also smoke pink salmon with tasty results. Canned pink salmon is perfect for salmon salad, chowders, and soups.
Chum Salmon
Chum salmon, also known as dog salmon, have the largest range of any Pacific salmon, returning to rivers throughout Alaska from July into the fall. Some chum populations swim over 2,000 miles up Interior and Western Alaska rivers, where they are prized as a traditional dried winter subsistence food for people and dogs.
The pinkish-white flesh is generally not oily and lacks the flavor of king, sockeye, and coho salmon. However, some chum salmon that make long-distance migrations have exceptionally high fat content to sustain them on their journey. These are marketed as “Keta” salmon and can rival sockeye and coho salmon in flavor.
Pacific Halibut
This Alaskan staple is a popular deep-sea sport fish and an important commercial catch. Pacific halibut feed on the ocean bottom in deep water and range from 20-pound “chickens” to 100-pound-plus “barn doors.”
The white, flaky meat has a delicate flavor and is excellent grilled, seared, or baked, or in sauces and chowders. For a fun meal, try halibut deep-fried in beer batter, Alaska’s version of fish-and-chips. Grilled, lightly seasoned halibut fillets are also a popular choice.
Available fresh from spring to fall, with summer months as prime time, many restaurants serve halibut year-round. Halibut fillets can be relatively expensive, similar in cost to Chinook salmon.
Rockfish
Yelloweye and black rockfish are two of Alaska’s 37 rockfish species. These deep-swimming fish live near reefs and other underwater structures. Rockfish are often caught as by-catch by commercial halibut vessels or targeted by anglers on deep-sea trips.
Rockfish meat is white, with a flaky texture and a mild, sweet flavor. They are often baked, poached, or broiled. Rockfish appear on menus from spring to fall, with summer months as prime time.
Pacific Cod, Black Cod (Sablefish), and Lincod
These three groundfish species live in the deep ocean off Alaska’s coast. Pacific cod and sablefish appear on restaurant menus, while lincod is a favorite target for anglers.
All three have white flesh with a mild flavor. Pacific cod meat is flaky and light, often deep-fried for fish-and-chips. Sablefish (or blackcod) is buttery and rich-tasting, considered almost exotic. Lincod is similar to halibut in taste and texture.
King Crab
Alaska king crabs are a world-class delicacy. They are harvested with pots from the deep waters of the Bering Sea and Southeast Alaska. The three commercial species are blue, red, and golden king crab.
King crabs have 10 legs, including a pair of large claws. After cleaning, the crabs are steamed and served broken in half or with the legs and claws as separate pieces. The tender and sweet meat, with a hint of brine, is found in the claws and legs. Dip each bite in melted butter for the full experience.
King crab can be one of the most expensive seafood items on the menu. Many restaurants offer king crab throughout the year, and some feature crab cakes, chowders, and bisques.
Dungeness Crab
The most widely caught crab in Alaska, dungeness crab live in shallow near-shore waters and estuaries from the Gulf of Alaska through Southeast.
Smaller than king crab, dungeness crabs have four legs for traveling and a pair of pinching claws. They are targeted by Alaskans for personal use and by commercial operators. The legs and claws are boiled and cracked open for a bite of tender, sweet meat. They also make tasty crab cakes.
Snow Crab
Two species of snow crab (tanner crab) are harvested from the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. The opilio variety is smaller than the bairdi, but both have sweet, tender, and slightly salty meat, with a more delicate flavor than dungeness or king crab. Snow crabs often accompany salad bars.
Wild-Caught Shrimp and Scallops
Alaska shrimp and scallops are exceptionally sweet when eaten fresh. Don’t miss them if they appear on menus or on sale in grocery stores or seafood specialty shops during the spring to fall seasons.
Alaska-Grown Pacific Oysters
Alaska’s pristine waters support a growing oyster farm industry that produces firm, consistent, and sweet half-shell products. The cold temperatures delay maturation, preventing the oysters from reproducing, while the plankton-rich coastal currents allow them to grow quickly.
About 60 aquatic farms across the state sell nearly two million oysters a year. You can find them in many restaurants and specialty seafood retailers. Eat them raw, baked, or in sauces.
Other Exotic Alaskan Seafood
Commercial harvest of razor clams has occurred in Alaska for over a century. A few aquatic farms are producing blue mussels. Divers gather giant geoduck clams in a fishery based in southeast Alaska. Some entrepreneurs have started harvesting kelp and other wild seaweed. Watch for these less common seafood products on menus, in seafood specialty shops, and at farmer’s markets.
Wild Meats
Moose and caribou are not commercially harvested in Alaska, but if you befriend a local hunter, you might get an invite to dinner. Moose, deer, caribou, and sheep can be superb as steak or roasts, with a tender and rich flavor similar to organic beef.
Reindeer
This is a must-try Alaska experience! Alaskan reindeer are descended from stock imported from Siberia during the 1890s and can only be owned by Alaskan Natives.
Sausage containing reindeer is on the breakfast menu of almost every full-service restaurant in the state. It has a distinctive, meaty taste reminiscent of high-end pork sausage. Prepared meats containing reindeer are sold in most grocery stores. Some street vendors and restaurants offer tasty reindeer hot dogs.
Marine Mammals
Alaskan whales, seals, walruses, sea lions, and sea otters can be harvested by Alaska Natives for consumption and subsistence. They are not generally available for sale to the non-Native public, but in some circumstances, edible parts of certain non-threatened or non-endangered species may be sold inside Native villages to non-Natives for consumption. The most likely item available would be muktuk, whale skin with fat still attached.
Alaskan Fruits and Vegetables
If you have the chance to eat locally grown food, take it! Alaska’s long daylight hours produce crops that are exceptionally sweet and flavorful.
The cruciferous family, zucchini, summer squash, peas, bush beans, and potatoes grow well all over the state. Alaska also has thriving greenhouse operations that produce tomatoes.
Local apples and berries are also available. Many apple varieties thrive when grafted onto a cold-ground rootstock. Look for locally cultivated raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries.
However, Alaska’s agricultural scene is relatively small, so local produce is not widely available in regular grocery stores or on restaurant menus. Check farmer’s markets or pick your own at local farms.
Wild Berries
Alaska’s wild lands produce an extraordinary annual berry crop. A dozen species ripen every August and September, from sea level rainforests to the open tundra of the alpine zone. Alaskan wild berries, from the sweet alpine blueberries to the tart wetland salmonberries, are abundant.
Don’t hesitate to park at a highway trailhead and meander into the hills with a bucket or a bag from late July through fall.
Don’t want to pick your own? Check farmer’s markets for wild berries gathered by locals, or stop by Alaska Wild Berry Products in Anchorage or Kahiltna Birchworks in Talkeetna for products made with wild Alaskan berries.
Alaskan Craft Beer, Wine, and Spirits
Alaska has a thriving craft beer scene, with more than 35 microbreweries operating around the state. The ales, lagers, and pilsners are often associated with a specific restaurant or pub. The state also boasts an award-winning regional brewery with national distribution, the Alaskan Brewing Company in Juneau.
Alaska’s climate may not be ideal for vineyards, but a few vintners create unique varieties using imported juice and Alaskan wild berries. Check out Bear Creek Winery in Homer for blueberry and raspberry wines.
Alaska’s distillery scene is relatively young, with producers offering intimate settings for sampling. Anchorage Distillery produces moonshine whisky, gin, and vodka, often with Alaska-grown grains and wild berries as ingredients.
Alaskan Birch Syrup
When the sap runs during a three-week season every April, entrepreneurs tap wild birch trees across the state. The product is thinner than maple syrup, with a more delicate taste that’s not as overwhelmingly sweet. Some say it has a nutty flavor, or a hint of wild raspberry.
Birch syrup is sold in grocery stores and specialty shops. Use it to flavor sweets, pour on pancakes, or dribble over ice cream.
Fireweed Honey
Many Alaskans are beekeepers, with apiaries spread across the state. The honey produced is lighter and more liquid than commercial varieties, and laced with complex flavors that hint at the boreal summer. Honey from bees foraging in locales dominated by fireweed is especially flavorful.
Local honey can be found in some grocery stores and specialty shops.
Alaskan Coffee
Alaskans love fresh coffee, and many vendors use beans roasted in-state. Kaladi Brothers Coffee pioneered the Anchorage scene and their brews can be found throughout the state.
Alaska’s culinary scene offers a wide range of unique and delicious experiences. From fresh seafood and wild game to locally grown produce and craft beverages, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in the Last Frontier. So, What Food To Eat In Alaska? The answer is simple: everything you can! Embrace the adventure and savor the flavors of Alaska.
