The Most Popular Kitchen Gadget In Alaska May Surprise You
America's 49th state is mainly known for its cold climate. But they also have a vibrant culinary scene that features ingredients and proteins native to the area. Alaska.org has an entire section of its website dedicated to must-try dishes when you visit. The list includes a long list of seafood like salmon, halibut, king crab, and oysters which thrive in the frigid waters. Wild animals are also popular in Alaska, most prominently reindeer sausage.
On the sweet end of the spectrum, Alaska is known for its wild berries, which are often utilized in Akutaq and cobblers. Akutaq is a dish created by Alaskan Natives and is a combination of reindeer fat, seal oil, fresh snow, berries, and optional ground fish (via Taste Atlas). The dish was created as more of a body warmer than a dessert, but it is still enjoyed today as a signature dish in Alaskan cuisine. With such a diverse array of dishes, it is difficult to know which kitchen gadget would be most useful in Alaska and if you have any guesses, they're probably wrong.
Alaskans love ice cream machines
When Eat This, Not That, compiled its list of the most popular kitchen gadgets in every state, they were surprised to find that the newest and most complex tools didn't make the list, it was simpler items like digital thermometers and vegetable peelers. That being said, the most popular item in Alaska still doesn't make sense, but we respect them for embracing the cold with this choice.
Alaska's most popular kitchen device is an ice cream maker, which, to put it bluntly, is pretty badass. Here on the mainland, we complain about a few inches of snow. Meanwhile, in Alaska, they are trudging through feet of it, ice cream in hand. The Food Network included ice cream on their list of must-try dishes in Alaska, citing Wild Scoops Handcrafted Alaskan Ice Cream's use of local dairy and featuring unique flavors like cracked black pepper vanilla or AK carrot with candied pecans. So if you want to make the most out of a trip to Alaska, make sure to sample their ice cream, regardless of the temperature outside.