Nature's Bounty on a Plate

By Hans Tammemagi

Indigenous cuisine experiences a renaissance as new restaurants pop up across Canada, celebrating First Nations culture and traditions

Indigenous cuisine has suddenly become hot in Canada. It’s not surprising since traditional dishes feature hyper-local ingredients, creativity, and plenty of heart. Indigenous people have been following the 100-Mile Diet long before it became trendy. It is just a way of life. Food plays a critical role in connecting people to family and their community.

In most cultures, food traditions are passed down from generation to generation, but the Indigenous people lost much of that opportunity through colonization and attempts to eradicate their way of life. Thanks to the strength and resilience of Indigenous Peoples, their cuisine has recently undergone a renaissance, with most Indigenous restaurants opening just in the past five years. As portrayed in the video series, Red Chef Revival, this surge is thanks to a new generation of Indigenous chefs working hard to showcase their culinary identity.

SALMON N' BANNOCK SERVES 100 PER CENT FIRST NATIONS' CUISINE

© JEREMY INGLETT

I sought out the SALMON N’ BANNOCK in Vancouver because it was a pioneer in Indigenous cuisine, becoming the first restaurant to offer it back in 2010. I tasted a spicy chorizo sausage from the wonderful game sampler platter — a Haida canoe suspended from the ceiling and First Nations art adorning the walls as a backdrop. Then I spread barbequed salmon mousse on bannock and ladled blueberry chutney onto bison carpaccio.

SALMON N' BANNOCK RESTAURANT

© JEREMY INGLETT

“My bistro offers 100 per cent First Nations’ food, and it’s staffed entirely by Native people,” explains owner and manager Inez Cook of the Nuxalk Nation. “None of our food contains preservatives or additives. Nothing is raised in factory farms or genetically modified. We source all fresh and wild foods so it’s very healthy.”

When I remarked that the menu featured many fish and meat items like salmon, elk pot roast and bison ribs, Cook answered with a laugh: “Yes, Natives think vegetarians are just lousy hunters.”

But it goes much deeper, as Bill Alexander, former executive chef at the LITTLE CHIEF RESTAURANT in Calgary, notes: “Our relationship with the terroir… is in tune with Mother Nature. We are taught to respect animals, and eating them is not our right; it’s a privilege.”

LITTLE CHIEF'S MENU FOCUSES ON FRESH SEASONAL INGREDIENTS AND GAME MEATS

© INDIGENOUS TOURISM CANADA

The Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN), created in August 2019, is another sign of the newfound popularity of Native cuisine. ICAN shares and promotes the many facets of Indigenous culinary and cultural experiences and works closely with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada because tourism and cuisine go hand in hand.

ICAN director, Suzanne Reeves, enthused about how vibrant the Indigenous culinary scene is now that young chefs are gaining the confidence and the opportunities to showcase their traditional recipes. “There are more than 60 Indigenous restaurants in the country, either operating or ready to start once COVID ends. Truly amazing is that one out of every three Indigenous youth say they want to become chefs.”

The growing interest in Indigenous cuisine was also evident with the success of Indigenous Chef Cook- Off, a virtual competition where five top chefs from across the country fashioned appetizing dishes via Zoom. Chefs worked their magic in their kitchens while viewers watched live from their homes.

EXECUTIVE CHEF CHRISTA BRUNEAU-GUENTHER

© INDIGENOUS TOURISM CANADA

If you missed the show, you can still sample the tasty fare prepared by the highlighted chefs, including Christa Bruneau-Guenther, executive chef at the FEAST CAFÉ BISTRO in Winnipeg. A member of the Peguis Nation, she dazzled the virtual audience with her cooked bison skewers with foraged wild garlic, ginger maple and bergamot over a wild rice blend infused with wild chives and sweet grass. At her restaurant, she showcases bison in main dishes like lasagna, chili, shepherd’s pie and meatballs. “Bison is an incredibly important animal to Indigenous people of the prairies, providing much more than just food,” she says.

BISON ROAST WITH MASH

© INDIGENOUS TOURISM CANADA

In Vancouver, MR. BANNOCK FOOD TRUCK has been giving locals a taste of Indigenous cuisine since 2018, prepared by Paul Natrall of the Squamish Nation. Expect to find plenty of bannock on the menu. The traditional bread is used instead of buns for his homemade burgers and turned into dessert with a generous topping of cinnamon brown sugar, or stuffed with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate in a twist on eclairs.

MR. BANNOCK FOOD TRUCK

© ALANA PETERSON

Fortunately, First Nations cuisine is becoming more available across the country. In Western Canada, try THE BEAR, THE FISH, THE ROOT AND THE BERRY in Osoyoos. It serves beautifully presented dishes, like beet-cured salmon, made with ingredients sourced locally. Executive chef Murray McDonald has roots with the Indigenous People of Labrador and was formerly the executive chef at the renowned Fogo Island Inn.

FOOD PLATTER AT THE BEAR, THE FISH, THE ROOT AND THE BERR

© BRENDIN KELLY

With two locations in West Kelowna and Merritt, KEKULI CAFÉ offers light pow-wow music, Aboriginal art and, best of all, Aboriginal cuisine. Its specialty is announced in its slogan, “Don’t panic… We have bannock!” Dozens of flavours are featured, from apple spiced to maple glazed. Kekuli has made more than a million pieces since it opened.

KEKULI CAFÉ'S SPECIALTY, BANNOCK

© BRENDIN KELLY

In Victoria, the SONGHEES SEAFOOD & STEAM truck became the first permanent Indigenous food truck in Canada when it opened in 2016. Decorated with a bold red and green Native design, the mobile eatery offers fresh food sourced from southern Vancouver Island, like wild salmon burgers. It also provides training for First Nations youth to help them get started on a culinary career path.

BISONS AT WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK

© WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK

In the heart of the Prairies, plan a visit to WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK, which serves excellent Indigenous cuisine, like bison burgers with a Saskatoon berry barbecue sauce and a slow-cooked bison French dip. The restaurant is located within the national historic site where you’ll also find several tipi circles, buffalo jumps and a 1,500-year-old medicine wheel.

INDIGENOUS DANCER AT WANUSKEWIN HERITAGE PARK

© INDIGENOUS TOURISM CANADA

Further east, try the POW WOW CAFÉ, which serves delicious Indian tacos made with Ojibwe frybread and more in Toronto’s Kensington Market. When in Quebec, book a table at the SAGAMITÉ RESTAURANT in Wendake, near Québec City, for upscale Indigenous fare like smoked venison and bison, accompanied by the “three sisters” — corn, red beans and squash. Along with topnotch gastronomy, you can experience Native culture at the large Village of the Hurons next door, where there’s a museum and plenty of exhibits to learn more about this special area.

SAGAMITÉ RESTAURANT IN WENDAKE, QUEBEC

© QAT-ITAC/AUDET PHOTO