4 Sask. residents share their stories of favourite traditional foods and family connection

CBC's virtual road trip series Land of Living Stories explores the hidden gems across Saskatchewan. 

Food has always had the ability to connect people and evoke feelings of nostalgia. No matter what culture or spot on the globe you come from, everyone has a dish that brings back fond memories.

We've entered the time of year where food plays an even greater role than usual, as families come together for holidays. That can only mean one thing: stories! 

As CBC's Land of Living Stories reporter, I have spent more than a year meeting new people, and hearing stories of why they love their communities and their family histories.

Cooking is extremely important to me — not just because I find it creative and fun, but also because it connects me to my heritage.

I credit my Nonna with instilling a love of cooking and food in me. Nonna was an Italian immigrant and a phenomenal cook. The kitchen was her domain and everything in the family revolved around her meals.

Nonna could be particular about who she let in the kitchen, but I got to spend quality time with her during the hours she spent making amazing dishes like her special tomato sauce, spinach linguine and veal. All from scratch, of course. 

Those long afternoons made me see cooking not just as a necessity for life, but as an art form. My Nonna died right before I graduated from high school. That motivated me, as I was moving out and living by myself for the first time, to try to duplicate Nonna's delicious Italian staples in my own little home. 

With these special memories in mind, this Land of Living Stories will visit four different Saskatchewan residents who each have a story about how food and family intertwines. 

Honey Constant currently lives in Saskatoon and studies at the University of Saskatchewan, but her community and family are never far from her mind.

Constant is Plains Cree from Sturgeon River First Nation (pakitahwâkan-sâkahikanihk). Her grandparents there always had fresh vegetables from the garden, including her favourite, potatoes.

Constant's most beloved family food is what they called Indigenous salad. 

"I think why I liked it so much is because I knew exactly what was in it. When I was little, I was kind of a picky eater. But it's definitely just mashed potatoes with some boiled carrots that are also mashed around with it, topped with green onions ... it's not actually a salad," Constant said. 

When Constant thinks of her grandparents' kitchen on days when the whole family would have Indigenous salad, she remembers a permanent warm golden glow. She also remembers trying to help prepare the dish.