Top Foods in Alaska – Must Eats in the 49th State

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Alaska being in the ocean side, is rich in seafood. Not only that, the species that are here makes dining experience unique from other states. Fresh seafood, other types of meat are consumed here. When you’re here, you definitely should not skip those and coffee. Alaskans are caffeine lovers like me. Also, they love their food so the servings are bigger than average.

So many delicious food in this state and I’m here to tell you what you should look out for to eat when you’re here. Don’t skip on these foods because you will definitely regret it. I know the places where they’re good so keep reading and mark them down for your Alaska trip!

Alaskan Seafood

First, I’m going to talk about the seafood in Alaska, it’s their number one food and export product here. Ships, boats, and seaside fishers catch fresh seafood everyday and serve them. They’re exported all over the world to make sushi, sashimi, and other delicious seafood dishes. On this trip, I’ve eaten all the seafood I could think of that Alaska is famous for to eat as much as possible. I feasted in good seafood eating out and even dining in my AirBnb. Here are my top seafoods that you should eat while in Alaska.

Alaskan King and Snow Crabs

There’s no way you will skip a dish of Alaskan king and snow crabs when in Alaska. They have the richest fishing ground for king and snow crabs is here. Most restaurants will serve it boiled cooked in butter, old bay seasoning, and lemon with a side of butter that preserves the freshness and taste of the crab. The best way to enjoy this. It can be expensive eating it at a restaurant which can cost you about USD $70.00 but it’s super duper worth it. If you don’t have the budget, I suggest buying it at a supermarket and boiling it yourself at your AirBnb. This would cost you about half the price and get it Wild Caught. It’s not the same if you don’t.

Salmon

Salmon in restaurants and supermarket are replenished daily from the Alaskan coast so they’re truly fresh from sea to plate. Sushi and sashimi are actually very popular here because of the abundance of salmon and other seafoods so there’re many Japanese restaurants.

The salmon export is a big industry here that you should go to this amazing store where I feasted on salmon. I could not resist and bought salmon strips and a jar to take home with me. There’s this really good shop for Alaskan seafoods and sausages called Alaska Seafood and Sausage.

Halibut

Wild caught fish is always on the menu in restaurants shown as ‘Catch of the Day’. I personally enjoy the simple taste and fluffiness of halibut so I made sure I got to eat this in Alaska. Great as a main menu seafood dish in restaurants, this flatfish taste amazing when made into fish and chips. I ordered halibut fish and chips at Silver Gulch and it did not disappoint. It was an amazing dining experience when I paired my fish and chips with a good Alaskan beer! It was my last dinner in this magnificent nature loving city after a long day of driving in my road trip before leaving Anchorage.

Meat

Alaskans love their seafood and also their meat. Not just any ordinary meat like your usual beef, chicken, and pork. Instead, skip those in Alaska. Get the Alaskan meats to get the local experience like yak and reindeer.

Yak

Yak, a rare meat to be found is a delicacy in Alaska. If you see this on the menu or want to get yak burgers for a barbecue, do it as the meat is part of the Alaskan local food scene. This is one of the kind rare opportunities to try this meat. Very local as they’re raised in the state.

I got a yak burger at 49th State Brewing Co and it was so tender juicy. Perfectly cooked medium red meat that is surprisingly sweeter than the regular red meats.

Alaskan Reindeer

Another rare meat that is in Alaska is reindeer meat. You can consume them here and they’re also considered a delicacy. This meat is in fact one of the leanest meat to eat. Rich in good fats like omega-3 and fatty acids. I tried this in various tube forms both hotdog and sausage. Very popular meat in the last Frontier region.

If you want to try it gourmet style, I got mine at Tiki Pete’s Alaskan Dogs at the Farmer’s Market in downtown Anchorage.

Don’t Forget the Caffeine

From another coffee drinker to another, I share Alaskan’s love to coffee. They obviously make it well so they can survive the cold rough winters. If you’re a coffee snob and love a strong brew, Alaska brew is for you.

Starbucks is not that popular here. The household coffee names are Kaladi Brothers Coffee, Java the Hut in Eagle River, and Black Cup. Anchorage, Alaska has amazing coffee scene that can compete with the big cities like Seattle, New York, and San Francisco. They have this thing called coffee huts. First time in the state and I noticed while driving the huts on the side where vehicles park quickly then leave. Found out they were coffee huts. It’s basically drive-thru coffee makes sense because Alaskans want that their quick coffee fix right away.