Our interview with Pekka Paarala, a polar chef from “Aboa”, the Finnish Antarctic Research Station, located in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. With 30 years of culinary expertise, Pekka enjoys the endless sunlight of Antarctica’s austral summer, as an alternative lifestyle far from Finland’s dark winters, practicing cooking in the very rare and unusual conditions of a polar climate.
The Fashiongton Post: What inspired you to become a chef, and how did you end up working at the Antarctic Polar Station?
Pekka Paarala: Yet at the age of 12, I decided I wanted to be a chef. I enjoyed cooking simple meals for my family from the young age. I had a friend working at Aboa as an electrician, who told me stories of Antarctica and encouraged to apply for the chef’s position at Finnish Antarctic Station “Aboa”, managed by the Finnish Antarctic Research Program (FINNARP). The current Antarctic season is my 6th season at “Aboa”.
F.P.: How do the harsh weather conditions and isolation impact your kitchen operations?
P.P.: The weather has very little impact on my cooking in Antarctica. In case of a major storm, it is important to reserve the required ingredients for the kitchen in advance. The food storage container is located outside of the station. At “Aboa”, we use a lot of dried meat and dried vegetables and the preparation of those requires expertise. Frozen food must be thawed for a couple of days. The packaging sizes, especially for meat, poultry and fish, tend to be large, so some advance planning is required. Household and drinking water is either melted from the snow or fetched from a glacial lake nearby. It suits well for cooking; however, the use of water is regulated, especially during major storms. We also try to keep biowaste minimal at “Aboa”. Everything that is delivered to Antarctica must be either used or brought back as a waste. Freight to Antarctica is expensive, so the weight of the food is minimized. That’s why a lot of dry products are used.
F.P.: How are food supplies delivered to the station and how often do they arrive?
P.P.: We buy raw ingredients such as dried food, canned food and spices from Finland. Frozen food (such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood, sausages, vegetables), cheese, yogurt, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables are purchased from Cape Town. All food supplies are delivered to “Aboa” station with the same flight as the expedition team. Thus, we only get one supply of food to the station at the start of the expedition.
F.P.: What strategies do you use to manage and preserve perishable ingredients for long durations?
P.P.: We use a lot of Finnish dried ingredients such as root vegetables, beans, fruits, meat and fish. The dried ingredients remain good for a long time. Cheeses, eggs, fresh onions and fresh fruits usually last for two months (the duration of the expedition). All frozen food is used during the season as we cannot be sure that it stays good over the winter and the spring when the temperature starts to rise again. Before, frozen food was stored in a crevasse close by the station, now we store frozen food in freezers. The station is left without electricity for the winter. All canned food is also used during the season. Cans freeze during the winter and melt in spring as the temperature rises. Cans may break, and the product inside spoils. However, we try to use only a little canned food.
F.P.: Do you usually have carte blanche for creating whatever menu you want, or you get specific menu plan given to you by management as some kind of and approved list of dishes?
P.P.: I have carte blanche to create a menu. FINNARP purchases all the food for the station, but I have some possibility to influence the food order. Some food, such as frozen meat, poultry, fish, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits are ordered from a supplier in Cape Town, and they do not always supply everything that was ordered. I don’t plan meals well in advance, but I plan which ingredients (e.g. meat) I’ll use. Frozen meat, poultry, etc. is often supplied in large sizes so effective use of meat requires planning ahead. I have dozens of years of experience in cooking, so I can also make food based on the current mood. And of course, I try to make the meals as versatile as possible. Every Thursday, the staff likes to have green pea soup and pancakes. On Fridays we have pizza for dinner.
F.P.: What are some of the most creative dishes you’ve prepared with limited supplies?
P.P.: Reindeer potato casserole made with dried Finnish potatoes and dried reindeer meat, served with Finnish smashed lingonberry and pickled cucumbers.
F.P.: What kind of kitchen equipment do you use at the station, and how is it adapted to the environment?
P.P.: Aboa’s kitchen is a typical Finnish home kitchen. It is equipped with a gas stove and a gas oven. On the terrace we also have a grill. Electricity is available.
F.P.: Have you encountered any equipment failures due to the extreme cold? If so, how did you resolve them?
P.P.: Aboa is a summer-only station thus we don’t really encounter extreme cold. As a Finn, I don’t find the cold a problem, not even a challenge. The Antarctic summer conditions are like the Finnish winter conditions.
F.P.: Do you celebrate Finnish or other cultural holidays with special meals?
P.P.: We celebrate Finnish Independence Day on December 6th, then of course Christmas and New Year. I cook traditional Finnish dishes then. Birthdays are also celebrated. If there are international scientists working at the station, I am happy to consider their wishes.
F.P.: How do you manage food waste in an environment where resources are so limited?
P.P.: The goal is to have more human waste than biowaste. All waste from “Aboa” is transported to South Africa for disposal. The dried food (such as meat, fish or vegetables) doesn’t produce much waste as it has been extensively processed in Finland already. Once or twice a week we have leftovers for lunch. Leftover porridge is used for bread dough. We also try to pack food in Finland, so that the packaging material is minimal.
F.P.: Do you use any special innovative cooking techniques that are not usually practiced on the mainland?
P.P.: Cooking with dried food requires special techniques. The dried food is swollen in water before preparation, and it swells two or three times the size. 10 kg of dried potatoes is worth 90 kg of fresh potatoes.
F.P.: Traditionally, your piece of advice to The Fashington Post readers?
P.P.: In Antarctica, you don’t have to like all food, but it is important to taste.
The post Pekka Paarala appeared first on The Fashiongton Post.