How these 4 indigenous chefs are bringing native foods to the table:
Photography by Luca Seixas; Courtesy of Chef Crystal WahpepahPick up an ingredient in your kitchen, and there’s a good chance it is native to the Western Hemisphere. Avocados, squash, corn, and potatoes are just some of the Indigenous foods that have been cultivated in the Americas by Native communities over centuries—and have become staples of nutrition around the world.
Today, Native American restaurants in the U.S. spotlighting these foods through dishes prepared by Indigenous chefs are still rare. But a community of Native chefs across the country is working to change that—through dining experiences that uplift their heritage ingredients, support the people who grow them, and proudly celebrate Native culinary traditions.
When Prairie Band Potawatomi and Mexican American private chef Pyet Despain began digging into the foodways of her Indigenous heritage and incorporating them more into her cooking, it dawned on her the extent to which most Americans are unacquainted with traditional Native foods, such as amaranth and cactus. “Realizing the evolution of Indigenous food because of colonization was kind of heartbreaking,” says Despain.