Upscale restaurants and retailers across North America are now carrying premium Arctic char from the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada.
The wild-caught Nunavut Arctic char is available now through mid-September, according to Buena Vista Seafood in San Francisco, California, U.S. – the exclusive importer of the fish from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada-based Kitikmeot Foods and the Nunavut Development Corporation.
“This fishery has an extremely short season, but it is an absolutely spectacular fish. Chefs who have used it over the years absolutely love it,” Buena Vista Founder Dale Sims told SeafoodSource.
The flesh ranges from pink to deep vermillion and the taste is delicate and rich, “perfect for chefs who are looking for exceptional, seasonal fish,” Sims said.
“It is a fish primarily destined for restaurants but high-end fish retailers … feature it as well,” he said.
Canadian retailers including Hooked in Toronto and Poissonnerie La Mer in Montreal, are now carrying char. Distributors featuring the fish include Toronto’s All Seas Fisheries in Toronto; City Fish in Calgary; and Santa Monica Seafood in Compton, California, U.S.A.
The Arctic char is vital to the community as a sustaining commercial fishery, Sims said. The Nunavut Development Corporation employs six full-time staff as well as an additional 14 seasonal employees.
Kitikmeot Foods is “committed to ensuring a sustainable harvest of northern specialty meat and fish products from the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut,” according to a company statement. The char is processed and sold as whole dressed and as value-added products such as fillets, candied char, and jerky to customers.
“It has been many years now [of carrying the Arctic char], and I’m extremely proud to still be able to represent these fishermen and their community,” Sims said.
Photo courtesy of Buena Vista Seafood
