When people think of Canadian cuisine, foods like bacon, maple syrup and poutine tend to be the first things that come to mind. However, it is obvious that Canada’s culinary traditions and history go far beyond the typical (albeit delicious) clichés. Recently, Indigenous chefs have been in the forefront of Toronto’s changing culinary landscape.

Here are some Indigenous restaurants that are transforming Toronto’s food-scene!

Pow Wow Café

Pow Wow Café, which opened in 2016, is located in the vibrant Kensington Market. Chef Shawn Adler, who is of Anishinaabe and Jewish decent, founded the restaurant because be wanted to introduce Canadians to the food he grew up eating.

The Café is known for its unique fusion of different cultures. One of the most popular items on the menu is the “Indian Taco” — fry bread with beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream.

Fry bread has been a stable for many Indigenous groups for generations. It was created in 1864 by Navajos using flour, sugar, salt and lard after Navajo people were displaced to land that could not support the growth of vegetables or beans. Adler describes fry bread as “a fusion of non-Indigenous ingredients and Indigenous ingenuity and knowledge to come up with [something] delicious.”

Kūkŭm Kitchen

Next up is Kūkŭm Kitchen, located in midtown and headed by Chef Joseph Shawana. Shawana grew up on the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Reserve. His culinary journey began because he realized the power food has to bring people together. Now, he tries to use each ingredient to its full potential at his restaurant. The word “kūkŭm” means “grandmother” in Cree and Chef Joseph infuses his cultural heritage into every aspect of his restaurant.

Kūkŭm Kitchen undoubtedly serves food that is difficult to find elsewhere in Toronto. Some highlight from the menu include: seal from Northern Quebec and Labrador, elk and venison chops, cattail heart, fiddlehead and milkweed pods. Shawana is adamant about sourcing all his ingredients in Canada.

In 2017, controversy sparked over the restaurant’s use of seal meat. A petition was started calling for the restaurant to remove seal meat from it’s menu and it received over 5000 signatures.

Since the 1960’s, organizations and individuals have been fighting to shut down the hunting and trading of seals. Critics of seal-hunting often ignore the cultural and economic importance of seal-trading for Indigenous communities.

Chef Shawana responded by saying: “the choice of having seal on the menu was my way of paying homage to our Northern brothers and sisters.”

The integral contributions that Indigenous communities make to Canada’s cuisine continues to become more recognized. Of course only a small fraction of Indigenous restaurants were mentioned in this article. There are plenty of other innovative Indigenous restaurants like NishDish or Tea n Bannock, and the number continues to grow!

Sources:

1. https://www.westjetmagazine.com/story/article/pow-wow-cafe

2. https://www.blogto.com/restaurants/ku-km-toronto/

3. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/seal-meat-debate-kukum-1.4347858

4. http://www.kukum-kitchen.com/philosophy/

5. https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/gy547m/seal-meat-controversy-a-reminder-that-food-is-used-against-indigenous-people