A Wren Says

When many people think of traditional native cuisine, fry bread comes to mind. While it’s a popular food, it is the food of survival, an innovation, borne in response to forced relocations and resulting injustices. What we often don’t think about is the foods that are truly native to the Americas, such as potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and wild game. Owamni is the solution to change that.

Started in Minneapolis by the Sioux Chef in 2021, Owamni showcases the true cuisine native to the continent and serves as place to provide jobs to indigenous workers. When you look on the menu, you’ll find none of the ingredients brought by the European settlers. There will be no cows, chickens, or pigs represented in any from. No wheat or refined sugar or hard liquor. And the only salt will be that which occurs naturally in the food and region. 

As I was eating the sweet potato donuts, I longed for the inclusion of more sugar and the soft springiness that comes from yeast and flour. But those foods carry a meaning. I had to think more about why they were left of the menu, and the role those foods played in indigenous cuisine.

I don’t think I have ever really thought deeply about that, cultural cuisine. I have tried different foods and expanded by palate, but I haven’t really thought about the role that food itself plays in a culture. The journey that ingredients take to get to even be considered, that is also a part of culture. As I sat at the bar, I had a clear view of that. I could see the effort to create not only food for hungry diners, but for people hungry for a story that could only be told using plates.

Before eating at and learning about Owamni, trying different cuisines was all about trying new flavors. Enjoying food from other cultures is not just about expanding my palate. It is about expanding my understanding of the world.

For that reason, of course, I recommend you try Owamni, but also please get out and try new places near you. See what you stories you can uncover through food.