Maple syrup is one of Canada’s most iconic sweet treats, loved for its unique flavour and natural origin. However,...
Spices from Canada's boreal forests
The traveling fern
The sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina) is a wild plant whose English name “sweetfern” means sweet fern. It also looks like a fern, but is not.
The Traveler's Fern is traditionally used by indigenous tribes for medicinal purposes. Crumpling the leaves and inhaling them would unclog the sinuses. In local application, it would be effective to calm pain following a shock, insect bites or toothache.
The leaves are eaten as a spice. They are slightly sweet, with balsamic notes, but also eucalyptus, honey, thyme and resin. If we had to compare it to another herb, we could say that it is the laurel that it comes closest to. The sweetberry can be infused into an herbal tea, but it can also flavor all kinds of meat.
Dune pepper
This false pepper - also called crisp pepper - is the fruit of a shrub: the crisp alder (Alnus crispa). This boreal spice has a very complex fragrance, almost musky. To the taste, the dune pepper is woody with citrus notes. It also goes very well with the latter, but also with simmered or braised dishes. It can also be used in a meat marinade or to spice up a tartare.
We recommend crushing it only at the last moment to preserve its flavors and aromas. Avoid grinding it in a pepper mill because of its resin which could clog the mechanism.
American keyboard pepper
It is another false pepper whose plant is the American Keyboard, also known as the Prickly Ash or the Ash-leaved Keyboard. It is similar to Japanese sancho and Sichuan pepper. It is a shrub covered with thorns, making the harvest of its fruits quite perilous. This is the reason why this spice is quite rare. The American Clavalier pepper has a pronounced citrus scent. Its spiciness is fleeting and very light. It is used as is, crushed or ground to enhance the taste of poultry, fish or seafood.
Balsam bayberry
This Quebec shrub grows abundantly in areas around Canadian lakes, such as around Lac Saint-Jean. It is also called Bois-sent-bon because of the pleasant and complex fragrance it releases. It is its catkins - or fruits - that are eaten as a spice.
It is very aromatic, with a blend of pepper, nutmeg and pine notes. It is ideal for marinating game meat, pork or poultry, especially for grilling. It is also very interesting to use it in charcuterie. However, be careful with the balsam bayberry, because it becomes bitter if it is cooked for a long time. Daring cooks can also incorporate it into fruit or citrus-based desserts.
Labrador tea
Also called Greenland tea, Labrador tea (ledum groenlandicum) is a small evergreen bush with white flowers. First Nations tribes have been using them for centuries for their medicinal properties, specifically painkillers.
Its leaves are used in infusion, Labrador tea is consumed mainly in herbal tea. However, you have to know how to use it. If the infusion lasts too short, the taste does not develop. Conversely, a bitterness will settle in the drink if the leaves infuse too long.
A well-concentrated drink can flavor ice creams, creams or serve to soak sponge cakes. Its citrus taste is perfect for fruity preparations. The leaves are also used to add flavor to meats or to replace thyme or rosemary.
wild sumac
These are the fruits of a shrub found in Quebec - staghorn sumac - that is musted to obtain this beautiful red spice. First Nations tribes traditionally use it to make a cool drink that is also quite invigorating. It is said to be good for blood circulation, the heart and for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
The taste of wild sumac powder is very tart, fruity and sweet. It is delicious with meat, fish or seafood. It is suitable for marinades and grilled meats, which it will add lemon or acidify. It will also bring a little pep and color to a salad. It is also very interesting to add it to sweet preparations or to make cocktails.
wild celery
Wild celery, also called laidback gardener's celery, comes from a perennial plant called lovage (Levisticum officinale). This plant from the celery family (Apiaceae) looks like a giant, more potent version of the latter. You can eat its leaves, stems and roots. In Canada, pieces of its hollow stems - the petiole - are used as straw for drinking Bloody Mary or Bloody Caesar.
The leaves can flavor a broth or sauces. As for the roots, they are grated and used sparingly to flavor many dishes. It goes particularly well with meats.
Quebec white sweet clover
White sweet clover (melilotus albus) is a plant found abundantly in Quebec. The flowers and stems are eaten. The flowers give off a lingering fragrance which intensifies as it dries. The smell of vanilla they give off has earned it the nickname of boreal or Nordic vanilla. In preparations, they also bring notes of tonka beans or almonds.
Quebec white sweet clover is perfect for sweet preparations. The parts of the plant can be infused in milk or cream to flavor them. The flowers and stems can also be macerated in alcohol at 94% for at least a month to make an extract. The latter can also be used in the preparation of original cocktails.
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