How to prepare moose nose, the Gwich'in way

Eating moose meat and other wild game is a huge part of the Northern diet, and, for many First Nations people, it's the moose's nose that's considered a delicacy. Gwich'in elder Mary Decker, from Fort Mcpherson, N.W.T., showed CBC Yukon's Shinoah Young the tricks of the trade.

Before cooking a moose nose, it must first be singed. Singeing is the process in which the hairs are burnt off the nose itself, leaving a more smooth meat for the actual cook. Decker singes her moose nose for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the heat of the fir, and rotates it as it cooks with a stick. A knife is then used to scrape off the burnt hair and skin.

After the nose is singed, it's ready to cook. A popular method is to slice it, soak it in salty water, and then slow cook it and serve it as part of a stew, or to simply eat the slices on their own, with salt and pepper.