Aman Dosanj 6/12/19 Aman Dosanj 6/12/19

Discover the Edible Okanagan

The Okanagan is not only a beautiful place, but a delicious place, too. When you take the time to really look at it and explore our land, you start to see things a little bit differently.

Where the Wild Things Are

Let me start by saying this: the Okanagan is not only a beautiful place, but a delicious place, too. When you take the time to really look at it and explore our land, you start to see things a little bit differently.

For this particular edible adventure, I met fellow Slow Food thinking friends, Kevin Kossowan (From The Wild director and multiple James Beard award nominee) and Tyler Harlton (top class little intervention winemaker of TH Wines) for a spot of foraging in Osoyoos. I’d like to also add that when your adventure starts with a dropped pin with the meeting point, you know it’s going to be a good one.

Before unloading my camp stove, hefty cast iron pan, homely spice blends and knife roll, we took a little wander to see what we could scavenger hunt for a field lunch with a five-finger discount. Blue skies stretched for miles, the path ahead muddled muted desert lands with the idyllic and familiar backdrop of lush blooming vineyards further away.

Photo credit: Aman Dosanj & Kevin Kossowan

From a local perspective, the subdued trail was used for the every day - walking the dog, a leisurely stroll or pretty straightforward flat run. That wasn’t our perspective or purpose. We literally travelled to Osoyoos to eat lunch together, but it wasn’t just a lunch date, it was a four-hour experience with the freshest, most local produce around.

Everywhere we looked, there was something new to feast on. We walked down the path, looking in every direction, losing track of each other in search of something delicious. ‘Is that…?’, ‘look over here…’ – the questions and answers kept on coming. Amongst the sameness came wild asparagus, nettles, rose petals, sumac, lamb’s quarter, pineapple weed, tarragon, mustard greens and lot and lots of poison ivy (danger is my middle name!) – all of which (minus the poison ivy) completely and magically safely edible.

With a bucket load of food stimulus around us, we quickly came up with a plan to bust out the old camp stove and cast iron pan and set it down under a tree along the river trail. It was only until we unloaded our haul did we realize the extent of what Mother Nature gifted us. And then it was my turn to add a little Indian vibe and create some new food memories.

Mother Nature really does have your back.

When you start foraging or growing your own food, you start to see the environment as the delicious place it’s supposed to be - proving it’s not necessarily expensive to eat locally and in-season.

Just remember that the land is borrowed and it’s not only ours. Share with the other members of our little eco-system and leave enough behind.

AMAN+DOSANJ+PAPADOMS-9647.jpg — **About Aman Dosanj and The Paisley Notebook:**

Food and marketing geek, former England and Arsenal footballer, people watcher, feminist, BSc Business Graduate, middle child, Virgo, planner, Slow Food Member, adventurer, From The Wild alumni, imperfect environment, storyteller, and just weird enough to be interesting. The former *Poppadoms* owner and *Western Living Magazine* *‘Foodie of the Year’* organizes pop up dinners and collaborative events across the Okanagan aimed at bringing the community together. Winner of the Canadian Tourism Awards’ *‘Culinary Tourism Experience’* and a two-time finalist in the BC Tourism Industry Awards' *'Remarkable Experiences'* category, The Paisley Notebook has raised over $47k for local charities since 2017.
Website: PaisleyNotebook.com
Instagram: @paisleynotebook
Facebook.com/paisleynotebook

Guest User 3/26/19 Guest User 3/26/19

Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre

Located in Osoyoos, this award-winning interpretive centre owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band has two important purposes: education about the unique desert ecosystem and education about the Okanagan people’s history.

Experience the Land, the Legends and the Peoples of the Okanagan

Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, located in Osoyoos, is an award-winning interpretive centre owned and operated by the Osoyoos Indian Band. The purpose of the centre is twofold: education about the unique desert ecosystem and education about the Okanagan people’s history.

This unique, state-of-the-art centre features both indoor and outdoor exhibits, contributing to a year-round experience. Nk’Mip provides on-site cultural tours, programs, self-guided nature trails, interpretive sites, visitor programs, a gift shop. Located on the edge of the northernmost edge of the Great American Desert, this centre offers an experience unlike any other in Canada both in the education and experience of the only desert in Canada. The centre features a network of over 50 kilometres of trails across the 1,600-acre conservation area. As visitors explore these trails, they’ll come across recreated examples of the Indigenous Okanagan art and lifestyle.

Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos Photographer: Meghan Reading — Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos
Photographer: Meghan Reading

Inside the facility, visitors will discover an interactive learning environment that includes hands-on displays and two different multi-media theatres. The exhibits include re-creations of the Okanagan architecture like a tipi, a kekuli and a sweat lodge. Nk’Mip also features the regions Rattlesnake Research Program, which is funded by Environment Canada to study the Western Rattlesnakes and Great Basin Gopher Snakes found in the region. Learn how to treat these beautiful creatures and what makes them so special to the area.

The Desert Centre is part of a bigger resort which includes a winery, a campground, a golf course, and a hotel. The Centre’s mission is to promote respect and understanding of the living culture of the Okanagan People and conserve and interpret Canada’s only desert. Whether here for a week or an hour, it’s worthwhile to smell the wild sage and discover this unique, rich history unlike anything else in Canada.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alastair Heinrichs is a Creative Writing student from UBC-Okanagan. Alastair loves encouraging people to discover more about our region, whether that’s a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, the local food and craft beer scene or secret campgrounds.
IG @alastair.heinrichs
W alastairheinrichs.com

Guest User 2/13/19 Guest User 2/13/19

Discover Spotted Lake

Located on the unceded Syilx Nation’s territory and maintained by the Osoyoos Indian Band, Spotted Lake, called Ktlil’x” in the Okanagan language, is a sacred site to the indigenous nation.

A Lake unlike any other

Located on the unceded Syilx Nation’s territory and maintained by the Osoyoos Indian Band, Spotted Lake, called Ktlil’x” in the Okanagan language, is a sacred site to the indigenous nation. Northwest of Osoyoos and observable from Highway 3, the aptly-named Spotted Lake is breathtaking both up close and from afar.

The lake has naturally occurring spots created from the unique chemical and mineral deposits from the neighbouring hills, and at times each spot can become its own distinct colour, from blue to green to yellow and purple. This cultural and ecologically sensitive area is a sight to behold, worthy of thousands of photos. The sign next to Highway 3 explains the history, the unique science behind this biological phenomenon, and what cultural significance this lake plays for the Okanagan Nation, as it has served as a revered place of healing for centuries.

Spotted Lake, Osoyoos Photographer: Nic Collar — Spotted Lake, Osoyoos
Photographer: Nic Collar

This naturally forming mineral lake is captivating, and we encourage everyone to pull over on the side of the highway to take some great pictures, though there is no trespassing beyond the gate onto this private property outside of a guided tour led by one of the local Syilx guides from, Sẁiẁs Spirit Tours. These tours will offer a unique perspective on the cultural significance of the lake, and what role this traditional site played (and continues to play) in the Okanagan Nations ongoing history.

Spotted Lake, Osoyoos Photographer: Allen Jones — Spotted Lake, Osoyoos
Photographer: Allen Jones

Whether you’re stopping for a quick picture or hope to join a guided tour, the lake is a sight to behold and could be different a mere week later. The ongoing changes in the dense deposits of magnesium sulfate, calcium, sodium sulphates, and eight other minerals make Ktlil’x” an experience unlike any other.