Taste 2018-2019 Taste2018-19_Digital | страница 3

what’s hot NOW Winnipeg is a restaurant city. From buzzed about dining rooms to quiet neighbourhood nooks, a stellar dining scene has its roots in the land and its people. by Joelle Kidd Edible Abundance Manitoba Jambalaya, Era Bistro Winnipeggers have a killer spread of tastes at their fi ngertips due to the environmental diversity of our province. Manitoba is a land of contrasts—the vast prairie grasslands of the central plains support one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, the boreal forest reaches toward the Arctic tundra, Hudson’s Bay drains a vast basin of inland lakes, and a migratory bird fl yway connects hundreds of acres of vibrant wetlands. Within the city, you’ll fi nd plates incorporating ingredients and inspiration from the province’s wild natural habitats. PRAIRIE: Manitoba is known for its flat, sweeping prairie overhung by an awe-inspiring sky. Acres of rich soil proved to be ideal for growing a wide range of edible crops. Produces: Wheat, oats, canola, hemp hearts, pulses WETLANDS: The province’s marshy wetlands teem with life, including beavers, birds and waterfowl. The signature ingredient from this area, wild rice, is a nutty, dark grain harvested by First Nations people for centuries. Produces: Wild rice, bullrushes LAKES: There are over 100,000 lakes in Manitoba, many connected through a giant web of rivers that leads north to Hudson’s Bay. Fishing is a productive pastime, with more than 30 species biting the lines of local anglers. Produces: Northern pike, lake trout, bass, muskie, pickerel, Whitefish caviar FOREST: The bountiful boreal forests of our province are a forager’s dream, producing many different kinds of berries and edible fungi. Early settlers were drawn by the rumour of wild strawberries so plentiful, “you left red footprints everywhere you walked”. Produces: Raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, saskatoons, strawberries, rhubarb, lobster mushrooms, morels, chanterelles TASTE Winnipeg’s Culinary Guide 2018-2019 1