Celebrate Indigenous culture in Canada through food

The Indigenous Peoples in Canada have been here since time immemorial—all with distinct histories, languages and beliefs. From coast to coast to coast, Inuit, Métis and First Nations communities have rich cultures and traditions to share—and culinary offerings are no exception.

Across the country, Indigenous chefs are creating a diverse array of traditional and fusion cuisine deeply connected to their communities and fueling an economic and cultural revitalization.

Naturally, with a strong focus on authentic, local flavors and fresh, seasonal ingredients, in recent years Indigenous cuisine has been reclaiming its rightful place on the global culinary landscape.

What’s more, an Indigenous culinary experience goes far beyond the food itself, offering you the chance to immerse yourself in a different worldview, learn from the histories and cultures of the First Peoples—and help foster a renewed, rewarding relationship of understanding and respect.

From traditional practices, like cooking fish on coals to new twists on traditional recipes like bison cheeseburgers, there’s plenty to savor on a delicious journey into Indigenous culture. 

Chef Scott Iserhoff: From talkative robin to culinary storyteller 

Chef Scott Iserhoff, hailing from Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario, exemplifies the expansive attitude of today’s Indigenous chefs. 

In 2018, Iserhoff and his wife Svitlana Kravchuk founded Pei Pei Chei Ow, an Indigenous food and education company in Edmonton, Alberta. The company’s name, from the Omushkegowin (Swampy Cree) language of his people and pronounced “pe-pe-s-chew”, means “robin”—the nickname Iserhoff’s grandfather gave him as a talkative child. 

Today, storytelling is central to all that Iserhoff does. He is passionate about sharing his culture through food, and his devotion comes through in everything from his inventive dishes to his Instagram curation — he has built an identity around openness as he extends an invitation to learn and connect with his own ancestry. 

Modern Indigenous cuisine with deep family roots

Through online cooking classes, community outreach and youth programs at Pei Pei Chei Ow, Iserhoff continues to bring the spirit of his formative years into his culinary enterprise by involving community and passing down Indigenous traditions and recipes using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Indeed, this young chef is truly one to watch and is already making a name for himself. In a Bon Appétit magazine profile, his inspiration from early family experiences is clear, including seeing his family prepare meals over fire and feeding the community. 

Iserhoff recalls his family harvesting local ingredients, including juicy blueberries in summer and pungent Labrador leaves all year round, holding fish fry gatherings along the shoreline, and eating smoked geese and dumplings with his grandparents.

For Iserhoff, food is medicine that connects us to the land, the spirit world and family—elements that are each as important to a person’s health as the nourishment that staves off hunger pangs. 

Learn to make Indigenous tacos—or savor a whole duck

Through Pei Pei Chei Ow’s online Indigenous cooking classes, participants can join Iserhoff in making staple dishes like jam and bannock, a bread made of flour and water, fried over a fire and fusion cuisine like Indigenous tacos, a dish made with fried bread topped with seasoned chicken or mushrooms, and taco fixings such as sour cream. A two-hour class called “Honoring the Whole Animal” invites learners to make at least five dishes using a whole duck, as Iserhoff shares advanced kitchen skills and Indigenous food knowledge. 

Try Saskatoon berry brisket on bannock at Bernadette’s

Iserhoff and Kravchuk opened their restaurant, Bernadette’s, in 2024, offering Indigenous plates celebrating local ingredients, from raw elk and bison steak to Saskatoon berry brisket on bannock. Bernadette’s is also notable for the Indigenous naming inspiration behind some of its menu items, such as the Jingle Dress Salad, which references a sacred Anishinaabe women’s dress and dance tradition, in which the jingles of the dancer’s dress – dozens of ornate metal cones – move to the beat of the drum and traditional songs. 

Be a part of the Indigenous culinary renaissance 

With more than 700 unique Indigenous communities in Canada, each with their own story to tell, the Indigenous culinary scene extends far beyond Edmonton, Alberta. 

Here are some other Indigenous restaurants and culinary experiences to seek out on your travels across Canada. 

Salmon n’ Bannock – Vancouver, British Columbia

Salmon n’ Bannock restaurant was founded in 2010 and is situated in Vancouver, on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Owner Inez Cook is a member of the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, British Columbia, and her staff originate from many First Nations. She celebrates her coastal region by serving up dishes such as candied salmon, as well as game sausage dinner and bannock with butter and jam. You can find a second Salmon n’ Bannock location at International Departures (next to gate 71) at Vancouver International Airport.

Feast Café Bistro – Winnipeg, Manitoba

In Winnipeg, Feast Café Bistro is situated on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene Peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. Chef and Peguis First Nation member Christa Bruneau-Guenther, a home cook-turned-restauranteur, created the bistro with a focus on community. She sources bison from a local farm and offers traditional flavors with a twist, from bannock pizza to a bison ramen noodle bowl and bison curried stew. 

Restaurant Sagamité - Wendake, Québec

At Restaurant Sagamité, travellers can immerse themselves in the culinary culture of Wendake, the Huron-Wendat Nation’s only community in Canada, just outside Québec City. Named after the traditional Three Sisters’ squash, corn and red bean soup dish, enriched with game, the restaurant blends together history, crafts, art and gastronomy. Discover the importance of fire to the Huron-Wendat Peoples through their house speciality, the Yatista, serving up flaming shrimp, deer, elk or filet mignon live at the table.

Moose Woods Home Fire Grill - Dakota Dunes, Saskatchewan

Nestled among rolling sand dunes on the land of the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Dakota Dunes is emblematic of the Indigenous renaissance, economically, culturally and gastronomically. Inside, the Moose Woods Home Fire Grill, named after the surrounding Indigenous hunting and trade area, celebrates the rich heritage, culture and pride of the Dakota Peoples. On the menu, farm-to-table food showcases locally sourced ingredients and the finest cuts of meat, deeply connecting travellers with the natural beauty of the wild prairie lands.

Looking to keep up with stories of Indigenous food in Canada? Visit https://indigenouscuisine.ca/