Hello from Alaska ~ i just wanted to mention to you that you did pronounce "Kuskokwim" & "Kenai" wrong.
I thought it was great that you came here to try the Native foods. But please learn how to pronounce the names correctly.

Thanks ~
Jean

yeah that was kind of bothering me too. I think he also said Chugach wrong too but I'll have to listen again.

I am Thlingit and Athabaskan, born and raised in Alaska. Andrew traveled in the winter time and only a short distance. Now we all look like Eskimo and we all eat whale blubber. I winced at his mispronunciations. Hey Andrew, pronouncing something fast because you didn't do your research isn't going to make it sound like you know your stuff. I like watching the Travel Channel but now I take it with a 'grain' of salt and will most likely not watch it as much as I use to. I think your producers should have done a top-notch job with the State of Alaska and given you a better budget to work with considering how you did such a fabulous job with covering the tropics and other foreign countries. Alaska is still Indian Country, not Caucasians pretending to be knowledgeable about our subsistence and delicacies. Overall, I was disappointed because you just perpetuated the myth that Alaska Natives are all Eskimo and live in igloos. Yea! Igloos that have internet!

Now I understand why everyone wants to take a trip to see Alaska! Loved the glacier, dogsled ride, and the fishing footage.. Way to go Andrew Zimmern...

come on people! give him a brake.

I too found the mispronunciations to be annoying and thought they undercut the general credibility of Travel Channel shows. I really think Andrew should correct his pronunciations before the show is repeated.

Here are the correct pronunciations:
Kenai - KEY-nigh NOT ka-NIGH
Kuskokwim - KUS-ko-kwim NOT kus-KO-kwim
Chugach - CHU-gatch NOT CHU-gash

What do you mean 'give him a break'? It's his job to get it right. The mispronunciations were annoying, we all don't eat whale blubber, and even the Native Alaskans don't live in igloos. He took one small window of Alaska and made it sound like it was universally Alaska. Whoever edited that piece needs to find another job. We have some bizarre foods here, no doubt. They just weren't presented properly.

mailladyak -- I didn't take it that way. When I watch the show, I don't automatically assume that everyone in his location eats said foods. For instance, I'm from South Mississippi (the city he was in, actually) and I've never eaten nor do I know of anyone who has eaten possum.

So, don't worry. I won't assume that you're a whale blubber eating igloo living "nut". You're just a "nut". j/k

I logged in to make just this very observation: I wish to God he would get the correct pronunciation of the cities he's visiting. The first time he said "Kenai" I just had to yell.

I grew up in the South East of Alaska (with the Tlingit people) and was a bit disappointed like the other posters that he focused just on the Eskimo culture.

I've never been to Alaska and I don't know anything about the local cuisines there. What sorts of "Bizarre Foods" are there in non-Eskimo regions? Maybe he'll be back for more?

Watched the Alaska foods show 9/11/09. Can't believe the words "Kenai, Chugach, and Kuskokwim" are still being spelled wrong.

Thanks - Foodie