For anyone out there on the West coast who wants to bushwack the hell out of some indigenous ingredients, but doesn’t quite know where to begin… May I suggest going to the source.
In this case, no, in all cases, the source refers to knowledge passed down to us from generations past. The West coast has for epochs been home to a myriad of native peoples, some who, in the age of instantaneous information consumption, have blessed us with their collective know-how. The best example of this is the Nuu-chah-nulth organization (a federation of native bands on Vancouver Island), and their online Traditional Foods Toolkit. You wanna learn what West coast aquatic plants are edible? what it takes to create the right environment for Herring to spawn? How to smoke the best freaking salmon you’ve ever tasted? Search no further you crazy locavore you, it’s all here.
To download the Nuu-chah-nulth Traditional Foods Toolkit, the cookbook, or for more information on harvesting and preparing traditional West Coast foods click on over to uuathluk.ca. It’ll change your weekends forever, and you’ll connect to an ancient tradition… One you never imagined you were a part of.