TORONTO — Ahead of its Arctic season, Quark Expeditions held a ‘Tundra to Table’ Inuit culinary experience at the AGO, showcasing Inuit and Greenlandic culture and culinary traditions.

Thanks to the delicious five-course meal, attendees got a taste of what awaits passengers who participate in the Tundra to Table dining experience onboard with Quark.

Quark painters with Igapall, a non-profit Inuit food and cultural group, to offer the unique Inuit culinary program – the only one of its kind globally. The goal of the initiative is to deepen cultural appreciation and understanding of Inuit foods and traditions for Quark’s international guests.

Igapall has been making Greenlandic and Inuit food a part of Quark’s voyages since 2022.

“Last year we served almost 400 guests and we’re bringing that opportunity today off-the-ship for the first time ever,” said Quark Expeditions’ Operations & Sustainability Manager, Lyndsey Lewis, at the AGO event.

She added: “Community engagement is really central to Quark Expeditions’ almost 35 years of operations in the Arctic. We aim to build authentic experiences for our guests in partnership with the local people and the local communities.”

Chef Miki and Chef Iben at Quark Expeditions’ Tundra to Table event at the AGO

The event took place in conjunction with the AGO’s Kenojuak Ashevak exhibition. The renowned Inuit artist was born in Kinngait, Nunavut, and event participants were treated to an interactive tour of her works.

Meanwhile Chef Iben and Chef Miki and their team served up a meal of snow crab and shrimp, deer loin and rabbit, capped off with Palaannguit (a traditional Greenlandic snack), berry cream, Labrador team and lemon ice and caramelized white chocolate. Chef Iben and Chef Miki were also in Toronto in the days leading up to the event to discuss Greenlandic cuisine, Inuit culture and traditions and food sustainability.

Quark’s Tundra to Table experience is featured on several of its Canadian Arctic and Greenland voyages in 2025 and 2026, including ‘Canada’s Remote Arctic: Northwest Passage to Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands’; ‘Northwest Passage: The Legendary Arctic Sea Route’; ‘South Greenland Adventure: The Majestic Alpine Arctic’; ‘West Greenland Ice Odyssey: Glaciers and Icebergs’; ‘Adventures in Northeast Greenland: Glaciers, Fjords and the Northern Lights’; ‘Iceland to Greenland: Total Solar Eclipse’; and ‘Under the Northern Lights: Exploring Iceland & East Greenland.’

More details can be found at QuarkExpeditions.com or at Quark’s Partner Portal.

Hiking in Greenland with Quark Expeditions (photo courtesy Carlo Lukassen)