I read Prices book a few years ago.
Indeed some, but not all, of the inland groups he studied valued seafood highly.
The only one I'm aware of that DIDN'T prize seafoods were the Swiss, and they did not have as good tooth health as many/most of the other groups. For that matter, the African groups that he studied would all eat dried ocean shrimp that was brought several hundred miles inland. I don't know if he mentions that, but it was, and still is, a prized food of inland African groups.
Here's a interesting quote about some Pacific Islanders who took their seafoods VERY seriously:
"The Island of New Caledonia is one of the largest of the Pacific. It is situated in the vicinity of 23 degrees south latitude and 165 degrees east longitude. The New Caledonians are pure Melanesian stock. They are broad shouldererd, very muscular and in the past have been very warlike. These Islands are under French control. The foreign population is chiefly French, and limited mainly to the vicinity of the one port of Noumea. The subjugation of these people has been very difficult and as recently as 1917 a band from the interior in protest against efforts to establish a white colony and sugar plantation on a desirable section of coastal land swept down on the French colony in the night and massacred almost the entire population.
Their contact with the required foods from the sea had been cut off. They believe they require sea foods to maintain life and physical efficiency. "--chapter 15.
Here's another passage from chapter 15, that mentions just how crucial seafoods are to these tribes:
" Since Viti Levu, one of the islands of this group, is one of the larger islands of the Pacific Ocean, I had hoped to find on it a district far enough from the sea to make it necessary for the natives to have lived entirely on land foods. Accordingly, with the assistance of the government officials and by using a recently opened government road I was able to get well into the interior of the island by motor vehicle, and from this point to proceed farther inland on foot with two guides.
I was not able, however, to get beyond the piles of sea shells which had been carried into the interior. My guide told me that it had always been essential, as it is today, for the people of the interior to obtain some food from the sea, and that even during the times of most bitter warfare between the inland or hill tribes and the coast tribes, those of the interior would bring down during the night choice plant foods from the mountain areas and place them in caches and return the following night and obtain the sea foods that had been placed in those depositories by the shore tribes. The individuals who carried these foods were never molested, not even during active warfare.[/u] He told me further that they require food from the sea at least every three months, even to this day. ...
Fresh water fish of various kinds are used where available from the mountain streams. Land animal foods, however, are not abundant in the mountainous interior, and no places were found where the native plant foods were not supplemented by sea foods."
Although, I believe freshwater fish made up part of their diet, however I'm not certain how freshwater and saltwater fish compare regarding mineral content.
Well, it depends entirely on the soil quality of the surrounding land. Good land=good streams.
I just bought a refractometer. I'm interested to find out the brix levels of the very little plant food that I eat (mainly berries).
Keep me posted. I'm curious to hear about your findings.
