what’ s hot
HERE
Prairie flavours inspire innovative local chefs to create exciting regional signatures rooted in the land and its people.
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 flyway connects hundreds of acres of vibrant wetlands. Discover ingredients and inspiration from the province’ s wild natural habitats on menus city-wide.
PRAIRIE
Manitoba’ s flat sweeping prairies
rewards with an unfolding scene of picturesque farmlands, fields of golden wheat, canola or periwinkle flax waving in the breeze. The rich soil that nurtures today’ s fields was once covered with tall prairie grass that fed the bison, which provided meat for Indigenous tribes of the region. There is no greater symbol of Manitoba’ s prairie than bison. Produces: Wheat, oats, canola, sunflower, hemp hearts, pulses
LAKES
There are over 100,000 lakes in
Manitoba, many connected through a giant web of rivers that leads north to Hudson’ s Bay. They provide a splashy retreat for swimmers, paddlers and sunworshippers. Fishing is a popular productive pastime with more than 30 species biting the lines of local anglers. Produces: Pickerel, Northern Pike, lake trout, goldeye bass, muskie and whitefish caviar
Photography by Oak Hammock
FOREST
More than three-quarters of Manitoba is boreal forest, part of the largest
intact forest ecosystem remaining on the planet. Remarkably, 80 percent is still highly intact and free from development and are a forager’ s dream, producing many kinds of berries and edible fungi. Produces: Raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, saskatoons, strawberries, rhubarb, lobster mushrooms, morels, chanterelles
WETLANDS
The province’ s marshy wetlands teem with life, meeting essential
breeding, nesting, nursery and feeding needs of the local wildlife population. Beavers, birds and waterfowl thrive in this habitat. Without these crucial wetlands, many species would disappear. The signature ingredient from this area, wild rice, is a nutty, dark grain harvested by First Nations people for centuries. Produces: Wild rice, bullrushes
TASTE Winnipeg’ s Culinary Guide 2025-2026 1