Uses thumb|right|Skeleton excavated on Bering Island in 1948, Zoologisk Museum Steller's sea cow was described as being "tasty" by Steller; the meat was said to have a taste similar to corned beef, though it was tougher, redder, and needed to be cooked longer. The meat was abundant on the animal, and slow to spoil, perhaps due to the high amount of salt in the animal's diet effectively curing it. The fat could be used for cooking and as an odorless lamp oil. The crew of the St. Peter drank the fat in cups and Steller described it as having a taste like almond oil. The thick, sweet milk of female sea cows could be drunk or made into butter, and the thick, leathery hide could be used to make clothing, such as shoes and belts, and large skin boats sometimes called baidarkas or umiaks.
Uses thumb|right|Skeleton excavated on Bering Island in 1948, Zoologisk Museum Steller's sea cow was described. as being "tasty" by Steller; the meat was said to have a taste similar to corned beef, though it was tougher redder, and needed to be cooked longer. The meat was abundant on the animal, and slow to spoil, perhaps due to the high amount of salt in the animal's diet effectively curing it. The fa,t could be used for cooking and as an odorless lamp oil. The crew of the St. Peter drank the fat in cups and Steller described it as having a taste like almond oil The thick, sweet milk of female sea cows could be drunk or made into butter, and the thick, leathery hide could be used to make clothing, such as shoes and belts, and large skin boats sometimes called baidarkas or umiaks.