Polar Food Stories: From Pemmican to BBQs at the End of the World
Polar exploration has always been as much about survival as discovery — and nowhere is that clearer than in the food. From the dense, unappetising pemmican rations of early explorers to the fresh-baked bread and fine wines now served aboard small expedition ships, food tells the story of how polar travel has changed.
The Diet of the Heroic Age
Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen — these names evoke grit and determination. But their diets? Not so enviable. Expedition food in the early 1900s was designed for calories, not comfort.
Pemmican (dried beef fat and oats) was the staple.
Hard biscuits (so tough you could break a tooth).
Endless tinned meat and soup.
If you were lucky: a rare treat of chocolate or raisins.
These rations were designed to fuel sledging parties pulling heavy loads across ice, not to delight the palate. In fact, some early explorers wrote more passionately about dreaming of fresh fruit than they did about discovering new lands.
A Modern Contrast: Expedition Dining Today
Fast forward a century, and the contrast couldn’t be starker. On board a small expedition ship, you might sit down to a three-course dinner featuring local Patagonian beef, fresh salads, or even a carefully paired Chilean wine. The galley teams aboard modern vessels work wonders in remote seas, turning out warm bread, hearty soups, and fresh seafood where Scott’s men had only tinned bully beef.
This is one of the quiet luxuries of modern exploration: you still face the same ice, the same storms, the same remoteness — but at the end of the day, you get to warm up with good food and a glass of wine.
St Helena: Deckside Views with Dessert
On the RMS St Helena, the experience becomes something else again. With her broad open decks and wide windows close to the waterline, meals aren’t confined to a dining room. Guests can grab a plate of something delicious, wander outside, and eat with a view of towering icebergs or a passing pod of whales. It’s not quite pemmican and ship’s biscuit — it’s a front-row seat to nature’s theatre, with dessert in hand.
The Icebird BBQ: A Far Cry from the Past
And then there’s the Icebird. Imagine being anchored in a secluded Antarctic bay, snow-covered peaks all around, while the crew fire up a BBQ on deck. The smell of sizzling food mingles with the crisp polar air. You’re rugged up in expedition gear, holding a hot drink, and laughing with fellow travellers.
It’s hard not to think of Shackleton’s men, gnawing on seal meat in the same waters. It’s still an adventure, but one with far more flavour.
Food as a Bond
Meals at sea have always been more than sustenance. For early explorers, food was morale — a hot mug of something could be the difference between despair and determination. For modern travellers, shared meals still play that role. Dining together creates community, sparking conversations that often become friendships lasting long after the voyage.
And somehow, food just tastes better in the polar regions. Maybe it’s the cold air, maybe it’s the awe of the landscape, or maybe it’s the joy of knowing you don’t have to survive on pemmican.
From Survival to Celebration
Polar cuisine has travelled a long way: from survival fuel to something celebratory. Expedition food now mirrors the broader evolution of polar travel itself — from dangerous necessity to meaningful, life-enriching adventure.
At Terra Nova Expeditions, we like to think of food as part of the story. Whether it’s dinner with a view on the St Helena, or a BBQ at the end of the world on Icebird, every meal is a reminder that the spirit of exploration is alive and well — just with better seasoning.
