Desire for local food prompts interest in Indigenous eateries
Since Paul Natrall started serving Indigenous cuisine from his Mr. Bannock food truck in Metro Vancouver nearly a year ago, the chef has hired several employees for his in-demand fusion food business.
In recent years, Indigenousowned restaurants like his have emerged in many Canadian cities serving traditional foods like bannock and buffalo. While it’s taken time to move into the mainstream, chefs say demand is high thanks to increasing awareness of Indigenous culture and desire for local foods.
“They ’re enjoying it. Like, everybody is going a little crazy,” said Natrall of the reception to the bannock, tacos, chicken and waffles, and other dishes on his menu.
He’s worked in the industry for about a decade and launched the truck last January after diners at his pop-up events kept asking when the chef would open a more permanent location.
There are a number of reasons why Indigenous cuisine has taken some time to emerge in major Canadian cities where there’s a glut of other ethnic food choices.
First, as Natrall is quick to point out, it’s expensive to open a restaurant. He opted for a food truck because it was cheaper than ser- vicing the big loan he’d need for a storefront.
While food is a big part of Indigenous culture — with the older generation teaching younger ones how to cook traditional fare — that opportunity was ripped away from the population for a long time, he said.
Government-funded, churchrun residential schools operated in the country for more than a century. The government also banned the potlatch, a ceremony practised by some First Nations that includes feasting, for more than six decades.
Food regulations can also make it difficult to serve authentic Indigenous cuisine as restaurants in much of Canada are not allowed to sell game meat that is hunted rather than raised in captivity.
It can also be hard to find certain traditional ingredients in stores, Natrall lamented, explaining how for a pop-up event in the States, they had to forage for products.
For Natrall, who hopes to expand his food truck into a restaurant one day, “it’s about time” for Indigenous food to have the spotlight.