Tamara Green

Tamara Green is a recent culinary graduate and entrepreneur whose personal chef company Indigenesis provides Indigenous ingredient-based catering drawing from the Great Lakes region and surrounding Indigenous nations. She prepares items with historical ingredients that were used prior to the colonization of Canada, avoiding the flora, fauna and animals that were introduced to the area by settlers. She uses traditional cooking methods, re-imagining them with modern techniques. Through Indigenesis, Green offers an experience focused on learning history through food, while honouring Indigenous culture and cuisine.

In 2017, Green was chosen to kick off Bistro ‘67’s Heritage Series Prix Fixe by drawing inspiration from her Indigenous heritage to create and cook a meal representing the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) people. Guests dined on fried Mohawk beans and cornbread, hay-roasted venison and enjoyed a dessert of ground cherry and honey sorbet.

Later that year, she was a part of the winning team that created a video exploring the Three Sisters – corn, beans and squash – and their role in Indigenous cuisine for a prestigious competition hosted by Canoe Restaurant in Toronto. Held as part of Canada 150 celebrations, Canoe’s student series competition asked entrants to create a video answering the question, what does Canadian food mean to you? Together, Green and her team created their submission, inspired by her Indigenous heritage and the diverse backgrounds of all the team members.