“Tundra to Table”: Quark recreates Inuit culinary experience at Toronto’s AGO

A new foodie frontier is here – and it’s found in the world’s most remote polar regions.

While the term “farm to table,” for years, has been the gold standard among gourmet seekers, a new wave of culinary travel is unfolding aboard expedition ships off the iceberg-filled shores of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic.

“Tundra to Table” is a culinary experience offered by Quark Expeditions that showcases the traditions of the Inuit in Greenland and Nunavut.

Passengers who sign up for these on-ship dinners, which are offered on select Quark itineraries, enter a world of modern-fusion dishes from Arctic regions, prepared by Inuit chefs, and learn about local culture and traditions – one bite at a time.

Whether it’s muskox in Greenland or Arctic char in Nunavut, Tundra to Table is an opportunity for chefs to share the story of their people through food.

“It’s an opportunity to engage in a cultural exchange,” says Toronto’s Lyndsey Lewis, head of sustainability at Quark Expeditions. “Food is a big part of every culture, and with Tundra to Table, Chefs are able to talk about how dishes came to be, their harvesting techniques, how they build their menus, and what kind of ingredients they use.”

Tundra to Toronto’s Table 

Quark, a Seattle-based company that has been exploring Earth’s polar regions for more than 30 years, recreated its Tundra to Table experience for an esteemed group of travel advisors, partners and media Thursday night (April 17) at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO).

Held in conjunction with the AGO’s Kenojuak Ashevak exhibit, an Inuit art show that’s on until June 18, the evening turned the AGO’s atrium into a makeshift dining room, where a five-course meal, using traditional Inuit and Greenlandic ingredients, was served.

The menu? Snow crab and shrimp. Deer loin and braised leaks. Poached char. Rabbit breaded in egg foam. 

For dessert? “Palaannguit” (a Greenlandic snack of berry cream, Labrador tea and lemon ice with burnt caramelized white chocolate) with Greenlandic coffee (infused with whiskey, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, topped with whipped cream) on the side.

Nerilluarisi! (Which, we learned, means “bon appetite” in Greenlandic).

Overseeing the kitchen were Greenlandic Chefs Iben Lange (who has been sharing Inuit culture on plates since she was 17) and Miki Siegstad (originally from Sisimiut, now a resident of Nuuk, Greenland’s capital).

They’re part of a collective called Igapall, which works with hunters and food producers to share Indigenous cuisine, ingredients and chefs with the world.  

Through a partnership with Quark Expeditions, Igapall have been making Greenlandic and Inuit food a part of voyages since 2022 – and to rave reviews.

“A lot of people come back from their trips saying that Tundra to Table was a highlight,” Lewis told PAX at Quark’s dinner. “They’re fascinated by the opportunity to experience a very different part of the culture.”

PAX on location

True story. Last August, PAX had the honour of experiencing Tundra to Table during a 12-day Quark expedition, called the “Gems of Greenland,” through the Danish territory’s western fjords.

READ MORE: On Location: “Life-changing”: PAX explores “epic” Greenland with Quark Expeditions

The exciting meal, which unfolded in “Bistro 457,” a café-like venue with large windows aboard Quark’s 199-guest, purpose-built ship Ultramarine, which debuted in 2021, was a feast for the senses, serving up smoked scallops and dry cod (placed on a fresh chunk of ice), pan-fried musk ox and cod fillet.

As was explained by two Inuit chefs, who engaged with guests in between courses, most of the ingredients were caught by local fisherman and hunters.

There were lessons about other local staples, like Greenlandic coffee cake (every household has a different way of making it).

It’s a wonderfully intimate affair. Tundra to Table, which is an add-on option for Quark guests (it costs $125 USD per person, or $175 CAD), seats up to just 20 passengers at a time.

The length of a voyage determines how many Tundra to Table dinners are offered during an itinerary, and the menu changes, depending on what’s available locally.

Accessible entrees 

The supper takes every opportunity to showcase local flavours, but it also adheres to some boundaries.

Whale and seal, for example, are part of Greenlandic cuisine. But Quark intentionally does not include those animals on its Tundra to Table menus (for ethical and sustainable reasons).

“The intent is to give people an authentic experience, but it also needs to be accessible,” Lewis told PAX. “For some people, [whale and seal] could be deal breaker. It’s a barrier to entry, if you will.”

Besides, there’s so much more to Greenlandic cuisine than whale and seal. It’s not the only things that Greenlanders eat, clarified Chef Siegstad during a Q&A that was held as Quark’s dinner at the AGO wrapped up.  

“Sometimes we do, but not all the time,” he said.

What the success of Tundra to Table says about today’s travellers – at least the ones who seek adventure into the unknown – is that people have “a real curiosity” about how others live, and other cultures, said Lewis.

“It’s a defining characteristic of our travellers,” she said

Tundra to Table is available on the following upcoming Quark voyages:

Arctic 2025

Arctic 2026

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