Traditional Foods in Southern Alberta
Traditional Foods in Southern Alberta
Lyndon Penner has been in an intense andall-consuming relationship with the natural world since he first arrived in theworld 40 years ago. A writer, gardener, designer and speaker he has lectured ata great many colleges and universities and has also done botanical guide workin Waterton Lakes National Park and at the Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden.His new book, 'The Way of the Gardener', has just been released.
I first moved to Lethbridge in 2015. Thereasons for moving are too complicated to get into, but I had good friends inLethbridge, and they were always talking about how beautiful the Old Man Rivervalley is and how nice it is to walk in the coulees and I wanted to get in onthat. Exploring Lethbridge turned out to be so much more fun and exciting thanthey had even prepared me for! I met birds I was unfamiliar with; found flowersI didn't know very well (or at all) and I loved being so much closer to the Rockies.Lethbridge is famous for being windy, but it certainly isn't windy every day. Iwas (and continue to be) amazed by just how much life and biodiversityflourishes in and around the city!
A great many plants that grow in theLethbridge area were traditionally used for food by indigenous peoples.
Indian Breadroot
Indian Breadroot (Psoralea esculenta) is perhaps the most famous and isreasonably abundant on sunny hillsides here. There are over 30 species in thisgenus, but only this one has ever fallen under the scrutiny of gardeners (aswell as farmers). Breadroot was a critical food plant for indigenous peoplesthroughout the central parts of the Canadian prairies.
Looking a bit like a lupine but smaller andhairier, breadroot fed not only people but also bears, gophers, mice, badgers,and many other small animals. It was so widely used, in fact, that it alsobecame known as “Indian potato” and prairie turnip. It fed Lewis and Clark ontheir expedition across what became Montana and also fed Palliser’s expedition(Though Palliser declared it as “insipid and offensive”). When the game wasunobtainable, many of the first trappers and traders relied on this plant.
A plant with pretty foliage and delicatelooking pale blue to soft purple flowers, breadroot once grew in large coloniesacross the undisturbed prairie. Today, it is actually quite rare in most placesbut can still be found in the Lethbridge area without searching too hard. Itfavours sandy soil and was also once very abundant in the Cypress Hills. Thetuberous roots are 1-4” long and contain both starch and sugar. They were dugin late summer and could be eaten raw but were usually roasted, and they were sometimesdried for winter use in soups and stews.
It is an easy garden plant for a hot, sunnylocation with average soil and sharp drainage. Seeds germinate readily, but italso goes dormant in mid to late summer making it difficult to place. Highlyresentful of disturbance and having such deep roots, seeds are best sowndirectly where they are to grow. Do not dig or try to transplant these (or anynative plants, for that matter) from the wild.
Two other very important food plants fromsouthern Alberta are the blue camas and the balsamroot.Although neither of these grow right in Lethbridge itself, they are easilyfound within an hour’s drive of our city.
Blue camas
Blue camas (Camassia quamash) is a gorgeousplant growing 14-24” tall and flowering in late spring or early summer. Theflowers are usually blue but may also be white or pink on occasion. They oftengrow in large numbers where conditions suit, which is primarily moist, openmeadows and pastures. Bulbs are about the size of a quarter and they are highlyedible and nutritious. These bulbs were always dug by women, with speciallysharpened digging sticks. They were gathered in late summer or early fall, wellafter the plants had finished blooming and when the bulbs were most plump.These bulbs were sometimes eaten raw, but they were usually either boiled orpit-fired, after which they were mashed into a paste that was formed intosmall, dry cakes. These cakes travelled easily and were a major trade item. Thegreat camas (Camassia leichtlinii) are closely related and native tosouthwestern British Columbia including Vancouver Island. It too was animportant food plant and used in much the same way. These bulbs fed the Lewisand Clark expedition and were described as being “exceedingly windy.”
Balsamroot
Balsamroot (Balsamorrhiza saggitata)flowers early in the year, often being in full bloom in the middle of May. Itlikes windy, fairly dry hillsides and is common around both Cardston andPincher Creek. Growing about knee-high, it produces enormous grey-green leavesand immense taproots (up to 14” long) that are difficult to dig. These werehighly prized and eagerly dug most often in spring, as the ground thawed andthe plants were pushing their new growth up. The blossoms closely resemblesunflowers (to which they are related) and have a delightful, chocolate-likefragrance. They can be very showy, painting hillsides and slopes in brilliantyellow early in the year shortly after the snow has melted.