Stinkheads

Stinkheads ("tepa"), fermented salmon heads, are a traditional food of the Yupik peoples in southwest Alaska. A customary way of preparing them was to place salmon heads and salmon guts in a wooden barrel, cover it with burlap, and bury it in the ground for about a week. For a short while in modern times, plastic bags and buckets replaced the barrel, however this increased the risk of botulism. Presently, Yupik Eskimos typically ferment fishheads directly in the ground rather than in plastic to avoid the risk of botulism associated with the fermentation of animal products in plastic containers. [p. 69, [http://www.subsistence.adfg.state.ak.us/TechPap/tp195.pdf "Subsistence salmon fishing in Nushagak Bay, Southwest Alaska"] , Jody Seitz, technical paper no. 195, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Subsistence, Juneau, Alaska, December 1990. Page 68.] [p. 5, [http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/pubs/botulism/Botulism.pdf "Botulism in Alaska, a guide for physicians and healthcare providers"] , 2005 update, State of Alaska, Department of Health & Social Services, Division of Public Health, Section of Epidemiology.]

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