Métis Chef Explores Roots of Indigenous Food in Canada

Brad Lazarenko didn’t grow up eating Indigenous food. Some of his family members didn’t even want to admit they were Indigenous, because of stereotypes and concerns about discrimination.

But in high school Lazarenko started to embrace his Métis heritage. The French word “Métis” means “mixed blood” and Métis people are of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. The Métis developed their own unique language and culture and are one of the three recognized Indigenous peoples in Canada. Over many years, Lazarenko has come to understand more about Métis culture and as a chef he has learned a great deal about Indigenous cuisine. It’s been a lifelong journey of discovery.

Lazarenko began working in the restaurant industry in his early 20s – bartending, hosting and prepping in the kitchen. You could say he learned the restaurant industry from the ground up – eventually becoming a chef and running the kitchens at some of Edmonton’s best dining establishments.

“I spent eight-and-a-half years at Packrat Louie Kitchen & Bar being mentored by Chef Peter Johner, a Swiss-trained chef and successful restaurateur,” Lazarenko says. “Edmonton was just coming into its own as a Canadian culinary destination and there was an influx of excellent European chefs in the 1980s who really helped to elevate the city’s food scene.”

Explore Indigenous culture through food

Over the years, Lazarenko has owned, consulted and worked as a chef at many different restaurants. He is currently involved in Culina To Go, a grab-and-go retail food store. He’s also set to open Bibo, a wine bar and Culina Catering, part of the Culina family, which Lazarenko owns and manages.

With a long career as a chef and successful restaurateur, Lazarenko has had many opportunities to express his Indigenous heritage through cuisine. More recently, he wrote the Indigenous food curriculum for Norquest College’s culinary program and in 2020 worked as the culinary director at Métis Crossing, a Métis cultural interpretive centre about 90 minutes northeast of Edmonton.

“The history of Indigenous food goes back thousands of years,” Lazarenko says. “Indigenous people hunted and gathered. They used seasonal ingredients and prepared them using simple methods, usually without salt or sugar. Meats were simply smoked and dried slowly to preserve them. The entire animal was used for clothing, fishing hooks, thread and tools.”

Menus built on traditional and local food

Fresh, local ingredients are at the heart of Indigenous cuisine. Bison, venison, elk, fish, saskatoons and other berries, wild rice, wild mushrooms as well as the “Three Sisters” – squash, beans and corn – have long been important in Indigenous cooking. Lazarenko says most chefs do not have time to go foraging or hunting themselves, so it’s vital they build strong relationships with local suppliers who can provide locally sourced ingredients.

“Some people like to romanticize Indigenous cuisine, but hunting and foraging was hard work,” he says. “The Indigenous people of North America were very resourceful and incredibly innovative. Just look at birch bark canoes, snowshoes and their traditional clothing, for example. Truly amazing.”

Learn more about Métis culture

Lazarenko admits he’s still trying to define exactly what Métis cuisine is.

“Everyone has a different opinion because of their different experience growing up,” he says. “We’re still working to land on it. I highly recommend people come out to visit Métis Crossing and learn more about Métis culture. It’s a beautiful location on the North Saskatchewan River rooted in Indigenous and colonial history where these two cultures traded with each other.”

Lazarenko spent many years discovering what it means to be Indigenous. He did not have a strong connection with his Indigenous roots growing up, but today he is a proud member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. As a chef and restaurateur, he’s still working to define Indigenous cuisine and add this cuisine to his menus. Each time he makes a simple bison stew or prepares a dish using traditional local ingredients, it is a nod to his Indigenous heritage.