New taco at Pow Wow Cafe helps preserve Indigenous culture

Ojibwaychef Shawn Adler is putting his own spin on the taco craze sweeping through Toronto. His so-called "Indian tacos" sold at Pow Wow Cafe combinetradition and flavour.

Last week, Pow Wow Cafe opened its doors for the first time inKensingtonMarket an areaknown for its tacos and culinary diversity. Despite Adler's neighbours, includingMexican styletaquerias, he is bringing his own twist to what he calls the Indian taco, which includesbannock, a kind ofIndigenousbread.

New taco at Pow Wow Cafe helps preserve Indigenous culture

8 years ago

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Ojibway chef Shawn Adler is putting his own spin on the taco craze sweeping through Toronto. His Objiway-style tacos sold at Pow Wow Cafe combine tradition and flavour."I knew Torontonians loved the taco," said Adler, who has been selling his take on this Indigenous cuisine that's also a powwow staple in a food truck at local music festivals.

Adler secured the space along Augusta Avenue three weeks before opening on Oct. 27. He says he wanted to add this culinary experience and heritageto Toronto's cultural food menuafter noticing a lack of places to eat Ojibway style tacos in the city.

Indigenous influence

Adler is nostranger to the kitchen. He'sbeen cooking since he was 16andopened The Flying Chestnut, a bistro-style restaurant where he first started serving Indian tacos,six years ago in Eugenia, Ont.

His Indigenous heritage continues to inspirehis cooking and influencehis menu. The 37-year-oldsays his mother taught him to make bannock.

"I think it's important to know where you came from to know where you're going," he said.

Although he graduated from Stratford Chef School in 1999, he took Indigenous studiesat Trent University prior to that.

"I grew up going to powwows every weekend in summer with my family so it really made sense to get onto the taco and really bring it to the forefront of my cooking," said Adler, who grew up in Orangeville, Ont., but spent time in the summer as a member ofLac des Mille Lacs First Nation outside Thunder Bay, Ont.

Ojibway style Indian taco

Most know a taco made from aflour tortilla, but an Indian taco replaces the soft tortilla shell withbannock and incorporatesdifferent fillings, including chili, cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato.

"We've taken it a bit further here at Pow Wow Cafe, adding different varieties like a vegetarian one, a smoked pork shoulder and a jerk chicken," said Adler, who offers four different renditions of the Indian taco on his menu beef chili, veggie chili, pulled pork and jerk chicken.

He also told CBC News that "the crunch in the bannock sets it apart."

• Bannock, wild meat and indigenous food sovereignty

Bannock isalso known as fry bread because of its crunchy exterior.

"Fry bread developed out of rations," he said. "People were systematically taken off their land, they had nothing to eat. So what was given to them by theCanadian government was flour, lard, sugar, eggs and what came out of them was [bannock]."

TheOjibwaystyle Indian taco draws on this influence.

But it doesn't stop there. Adler is planning to continue pushing the boundaries of what can go intoan Indian taco with a vegetarian variety, a gluten free option made with chickpea flour. He also wants to drawon other ethnic flavours, such as a curry goat taco.

"Anything on fry bread is good," he said.

Pow Wow Cafe is open Thursday to Monday along Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market and offers an Indigenous stylebrunch on the weekend.