By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer
Rooted is a new program bringing traditional Indigenous ingredients and flavours to the SFU Dining Commons. Curated in collaboration with Steph Baryluk, a Teetl’it Gwich’in chef from Teetl’it Zheh in the Northwest Territories, the menu features over 15 unique dishes with fresh BC produce and game meats. Ingredients are chosen to reflect Indigenous traditions from a light and refreshing sweetgrass-tossed spinach salad to hearty plates like elk pot pie and braised rabbit with fresh sage.
Inspired by her grandmothers, Baryluk told SFU, “Both my parents are residential school survivors, so today, as I have the freedom to practice my culture and traditions, I will be loud and proud.”
“The Teetl’it Gwich’in people still continue to live off the land respectfully harvesting game meats and plants for medicine,” Baryluk said. “Hunting, fishing and trapping remain important both culturally and economically, with caribou, moose, whitefish, being staples of our diet.”
Colonization has contributed to the loss of traditional knowledge of Indigenous ingredients and recipes. Indigenous food traditions are often criticized as a result of colonial narratives. Rooted is a small step toward unravelling these narratives.
I had the opportunity to taste three uniquely crafted dishes. Many of the ingredients, while being nutritious, also have medicinal properties. I was eager to experience these new flavours paired with familiar and unfamiliar ingredients.
Coming from an Italian background, I was curious and excited to see this combination of flavours in a tomato-based pasta dish come together. The venison sausage, which usually refers to deer or elk meat, was cooked perfectly. This offers a rich flavour to the dish without overpowering the other ingredients. Traditionally, venison is often preserved by being cut into thin slices to be dried or smoked into beef jerky.
“Hunting is an important part of Indigenous culture, and so is respect,” Baryluk commented. “When a deer, elk, or any animal is hunted, we are sure to use everything, nose to tail.” The bones of the animal are often crafted into tools and the hide can be salvaged for sewing and drum making. The dandelion leaf garnish not only offers a hint of sweetness to the dish, but is a rich source of Vitamin A, B, C, & D.
A flavourful stew composed of large chunks of bison, carrot, and local BC mushrooms, this was my favourite dish. The meat was cooked perfectly, tasting similar to beef but offering notes of sweetness to break up a rich umami flavour. Making stew is “a great way to use up your ingredients and feed a big family,” said Baryluk. “As Indigenous people we like to use what we have, what’s around us.
Growing up, stew was something my mom made frequently but I never tasted the combination of bison and mushrooms before. This dish is so comforting; I wish they would serve it in the dining hall more often. It would be a perfect addition to the menu, especially in the colder winter months.
I was excited to try bannock for the first time, especially paired with the sweet wild blueberry sauce served alongside the donut holes. Bannock can be baked, fried, or cooked on the stove top, and can traditionally be made from nut meal or corn. Blueberries are often used in both sweet and savoury recipes. Not only do blueberries make yummy additions to recipes, but they’re often used to preserve meat or for medicinal remedies. I had always considered bannock something to eat alongside a savoury dish, so I was looking forward to trying it with the sweet and slightly tart blueberries. They were so delicious, I found myself wanting to get up and fill my plate with more (and maybe sneak one or two in my pockets for later)!
Two Rooted dishes are served every second Friday in the SFU Dining Hall. To learn more about each item on the Rooted menu and to see what is being served visit the Rooted website.
