Great Canadian Baking Show contestant hosts cooking classes as part of Decolonize YQR series

A Cree and Nakoda baker is using her traditional food knowledge as a way to bring Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people together in Regina. 

Jodi Robson, from Okanese First Nation in Saskatchewan, was featured on season 3 of CBC's Great Canadian Baking Show.

Working with Reconciliation YQR and the Regina Public Library, Robson has been doing virtual cooking classes over Zoom as part of an online series of events called Decolonize YQR.

"[Decolonize YQR] is an opportunity to build a bridge between the First Nations people in the community and non-First Nations people," Robson said.

"There's a lot of misconceptions and preconceived notions that frankly aren't true. I would like to see those erased and knowledge be shared and understanding be built that doesn't exist currently."

Tuesday's event was a how-to on boulette soup, a traditional Métis dish.

Robson said since it's pronounced "bullet" soup, people often believe the name has something to do with hunting, as the meatballs look like buckshot bullets, but boulette is simply the Michif word for meatball.

Robson said her boulette soup is as close to traditional as possible

"It's literally just meatballs, sometimes some potatoes, a little bit of flour mixed in to make kind of a thin broth," she said.

"I don't like to spice it up because that's not the comfort food I recognize when I have boulette soup."

She said she grew up with boulette soup and her grandmother would have guests over on New Year's Day to enjoy some warm soup during the chilly weather.

"Boulette soup is an opportunity to reconnect during the hard winter months and visit and welcome the new year with a good feeling," she said.

An ingredient list was sent out prior to the event so participants could follow along cooking with Robson.

During the event, Robson shared stories about the soup and questions were encouraged.