Eating Saskatchewan: Saskatoon Berries, Perogies and the Prairie

Saskatchewan's food culture is the story of its settlers — Ukrainian, German, Mennonite, and Scandinavian immigrants who brought their food to the prairie, plus a deep Indigenous food tradition and a surprising farm-to-table scene. It's the most underrated food province in Canada. Here's what to eat.

Saskatoon berries The berry that named the city — a small, sweet-tart purple berry (a serviceberry) that grows wild across the prairie and the boreal edge. In everything: pies, jam, syrup, wine, and desserts. Saskatoon berry pie with ice cream is the Prairie dessert.

The Ukrainian food Saskatchewan has one of the largest Ukrainian populations outside Ukraine, and the food is everywhere — perogies with potato and cheese, cabbage rolls (holubtsi), borscht, and kielbasa. The church basements and community halls make the real ones; Saskatoon's restaurants do modern versions.

The Prairie and the farm Saskatchewan is Canada's breadbasket — the wheat, the lentils, the canola, and the beef are all here. The farm-to-table scene in Saskatoon (the Farmers' Market, the riverside restaurants) is surprisingly strong. Try the lentil dishes (Saskatchewan grows half of Canada's lentils), the beef, and the local honey.

Indigenous food Bannock, wild rice (the province grows some of Canada's best), and the traditional foods — pemmican, Saskatoon berries, and the game (bison, elk). The new Indigenous restaurants in Saskatoon are doing modern versions. Wanuskewin's cultural centre does traditional food.

Fish and the north The boreal lakes produce walleye, pickerel, and northern pike — the shore lunch (fresh-caught fish fried on the beach) is the northern Saskatchewan ritual. The fishing lodges of the north are the place.

Where to eat Saskatoon for the restaurants and the Ukrainian community food; Regina for the farm-to-table; the small towns for the church perogies and the community suppers. And eat the Saskatoon berries — they're the province's signature.