Wild rice is a Native American staple that can be sweet or savory. The sweeter version is typically served at breakfast, or as a snack. It’s often topped with maple and berries. It’s simple yet delicious, and a staple on the menu of Owamni, James Beard Award-winning Oglala Lakota chef Sean ShermanAlong the banks of the Mississippi River, you’ll find a smorgasbord of decolonized cuisine. Minneapolis.
Grape Dumplings
Oklahoma
Grape dumplings are a traditional dish in many of Oklahoma’s federally recognized tribes. They represent the complex history of Native American communities. In the 1800s, this dish was transported from the Southeast Woodlands along with the tribes forcibly removed to the ‘New World. Indian Territory Oklahoma is a modern state. Cooks such as Osage chef honor tradition Ben Jacobs Boil tender corn mush pies in wild grape juice (or these days sometimes purchased in the store) and serve in a thickened fruity sauce. He says that grape dumplings almost always appear at feast meals. “To me, the scents of blackjack wood burning, slow-smoked food, hominy and sweet syrup in the air remind me of family and community.”
Wóžapi
South Dakota
In neighboring South Dakota, wóžapi (sometimes spelled “wojape”) is a Lakota favorite, served for both important ceremonies and everyday meals. You can find it at restaurants such as Owamni. Javelina In Portland, Oregon this thick sauce is made with wild chokecherries and blueberries, as well as blackberries, huckleberries and other seasonal fruits and berries. It tops everything, fry bread from ice-cream to braised bison. Chef Sean Sherman has a special connection to the summers he spent as a child on the beach. Pine Ridge Reservation Around the pine-scented Black Hills, where we harvested the bountiful chokecherries with fingers stained dark red—knowing even then that it was about more than just fruit.”
Atole
New Mexico
This warm, comforting beverage is a great way to enjoy blue corn. As is the case with so many Indigenous delicacies, a handful of unassuming ingredients—cornmeal, water, milk, cinnamon, some sweetener of choice—are whisked together to create a frothy, delicious drink. Atole, a Mexican street food staple, is popular on both sides the US/Mexico borders. It is earthy and nutty in flavor, and often paired up with sweet bread. Bonus: It’s believed to help with digestion and gut-health.
