Original Harvest
by Caroline Barlott
Illustration by S. Eastman. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co. 1853;
19th Century tribal women harvesting wild rice in the traditional manner.
Wild rice is one of few cereals native to Canada, and by far the most nutritious. Yet, the demand for the grain is far greater outside of our borders.
The sun is high overhead, shining down on a clear lake that provides a direct reflection of the teal sky. Eric Whitehead, owner of the wild food company Untamed Feast, is visiting a supplier of wild rice in Manitoba. Whitehead climbs aboard the open air cabin of a propeller boat. It’s not a regular water craft; it’s the boat equivalent of a farmer’s combine and it’s being used to harvest wild rice.
Wild rice isn’t really rice—it’s actually an aquatic grass that simply looks similar to its Asian counterpart. As the boat passes across the water, the seeds fall into the trough at the front of the boat.
The rice is later bagged, and taken to a facility where it ripens and is roasted and dried. It’s a far more modern process than how wild rice was historically harvested.
Wild rice has a very long history in Canada—in fact it’s one of the country’s few native cereals—growing around the Great Lakes for centuries, and harvested by indigenous groups for as long. In the past, canoes were used to traverse the lake, and harvesters would hit the stalks of rice with long sticks until the seeds fell into the boats.
The grain grows wild in Manitoba, Ontario and parts of Alberta. In the 1930s, wild rice was imported into Saskatchewan lakes as a way to increase duck and muskrat populations with the goal of increasing hunting, trapping and tourism. It’s still widely used as a food source and now a method of income for those of aboriginal descent across the country—in Saskatchewan, for example, between 75 and 80 per cent of producers are aboriginal. The use of the grain is also tied to indigenous ceremonies, reflecting more than just a dietary aspect of the culture.
Though, the dietary aspect alone is significant. The whole grain is incredibly nutritious, containing high amounts of fibre, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc and niacin, according to Kelly Toups, program manager for the Whole Grains Council. “It’s very nutrient dense, especially when you compare it to normal rice. It has more protein, more fibre,” says Toups.
Harvesting in Canada or the United States requires a permit. But different areas have different restrictions for how the seeds are harvested. In Minnesota, for example, harvesters must employ the traditional Native American method of using canoes to harvest the seeds.
While the U.S. has a long history with wild rice, that association has shifted in recent decades. The majority of wild rice in Canada continues to be grown in natural lakes, but most of the wild rice in the U.S. is not technically wild anymore. Instead, it’s grown in farmed paddies in California. In 2009, 10.2 million pounds of wild rice was produced in California while Minnesota and Canada together produced 10 million pounds, according to Toups.
“There’s a big difference between the rice from California compared to that found in Canada,” says Whitehead, “because the mass cultivated product tends to lose both nutrition and flavour. It’s the same seed, but the methods of cultivation create a far different end result.”
Wild rice is harvested in a way that’s low impact—and governments have set in place rules for how producers can interact with lakes—no chemicals can be used, and no roads can be built into the area, for example.
While wild rice has a strong history in Canada, and is culturally significant, recent years have seen a shift in the way people have thought about the cereal. Whitehead thinks most people just are unaware we have such a great harvest in our backyard—one that’s full of nutrition and flavour. But others view wild rice as a nuisance. This year, for example, cottagers on Pigeon Lake complained the wild rice growing in the lake was preventing people from being able to boat and swim on the water. They worried it might bring down property values.
In Canada, there are many wild rice operations, some small, family owned, along with some larger corporations. Most of the harvest, says Whitehead, is exported overseas to Europe, Asia, North Africa and the U.S. According to the Global Trade Atlas, in 2010 Canada exported US$4.5 million worth of wild rice mostly to the U.S. Meanwhile, the majority of the wild rice available in our grocery stores is the cultivated kind from the U.S.
Northern Lights Foods, a wild rice producer in Saskatchewan owned by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, employs up to 1,000 seasonal workers and purchases rice from more than 100 independent producers in the province. The large producer sells locally, but also has a large market overseas, exporting to Europe and the U.S.
Local Alberta producers Alice and Wayne Ptolemy have been cultivating rice in local lakes for 24 years. They grow the wild rice from seed on about 1500 acres in various lakes and harvest it in the mearly fall. When the couple first started growing their crops, Alice says very few people were interested in wild rice, and knew little of the taste or the health benefits.
Alice has noticed an increase in interest in the last few years. The wild product is the ultimate in local food; and there is a movement towards individuals wanting to eat food that is both sustainable and local.
But there’s still a long way to go before wild rice would be considered popular in our country by any stretch, says Whitehead. For Whitehead, wild rice makes up a very small part of his business, simply because Canadians aren’t as interested in it as some of the other wild foods.
In an ironic twist, Canadians at some point stopped seeing one of our best native harvests as an asset—preferring to sell our bounty rather than enjoy it ourselves—but Whitehead is hopeful for a turn around.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf
Adapted from epicurious.
| 1½ c | chicken or vegetable stock |
| 1 packet | (approx ¼ c) dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed |
| 1¼ c | wild rice, rinsed under cold water |
| 1 t | salt |
| 1 | large bay leaf |
| 1 stalk | fresh thyme, leaves only, minced |
| 3 T | butter |
| ¾ c | finely chopped onion |
| ½ c | finely chopped carrot |
| 1 clove | garlic, minced |
| 1 handful | (about 10) medium button mushrooms, chopped fine |
| 1 glug | (approx ¼ c) dry white wine or dry sherry |
| 1 handful | (about ¼ c) chopped parsley |
| ¼ c | (or to taste) grated ricotta salata, parmesan, or aged pecorino |
Bring stock to boil in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add porcini mushrooms and let stand until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. Finely chop porcini.
Bring medium saucepan of water to boil. Add rice, salt, bay leaf and thyme. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, until rice is almost tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and discard bay leaf. Reserve.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic and porcini, sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, let evaporate.
Add rice and reserved porcini soaking liquid, discarding sediment in bottom. Simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed, but mixture is still moist, about 10 minutes.
Check for seasoning, a grate of black pepper is welcome. Stir in chopped parsley and grated cheese just before serving.
Serves 6.
Sources for Wild Rice
Lakeland Wild Rice, Alice Ptolemy: 780-675-7075
Northern Lights Wild Rice: 306-425-3434.
Untamed Feast: Various retailers and untamedfeast.com
Caroline Barlott is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Canadian Geographic, Discover, and Avenue.