There are plenty of foods that are staples in Minnesota and Minnesota culture. You’ve got tater tot hotdish, walleye, top the tater… (I’ll put more down below at the end of the story).
There’s one food that’s synonymous with Minnesota, though, that is actually in danger right now. If it goes away, that would spell the end of a long-standing tradition not just in Minnesota but for the people who lived here before we were a state.
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Wild Rice and Minnesota History
Wild rice is a food that is classically Minnesotan, especially in northern Minnesota. Moose Lake Wild Rice writes that wild rice grows “in water that is about 3-8 feet deep in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and marshes north of the Great Lakes.”
wild rice growing
RozHawley
They also write that “several Native American cultures, such as the Ojibwa, consider wild rice (known as manoomin to the Objiwa) to be a sacred component in their culture.”
Not only does it make a delicious soup, but it has a much deeper meaning to Native American cultures. And now, wild rice is being threatened.
Wild Rice is in Danger in Minnesota
Wild rice is a bit picky about the environment it likes to grow in. So with our weather getting warmer in Minnesota, the wild rice crops don’t like that. The plant also doesn’t like having too much water, and in certain parts of Minnesota, it’s causing the water where wild rice grows to get too high.
Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris)
Karel Bock
On top of that, wild rice only likes to grow in water with low-sulfate levels. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) writes that sulfate “is a naturally occurring chemical and can also be found in discharges from mining operations, wastewater treatment plants, and industrial facilities.”
Higher temperatures, higher water levels, and higher sulfate levels are spelling issues for the future of our wild rice.
Efforts to Save Wild Rice in Minnesota
There are efforts to protect wild rice in Minnesota. For example, “the MPCA is currently working to fully implement a water quality standard to protect wild rice from excess sulfate.”
There’s also a group led by “Leanna Goose is an organizer with the Rise and Repair Alliance, a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and a researcher who is working to reseed wild rice on Leech Lake.” She spoke with MPR back in January about their efforts to save wild rice in Minnesota.
Cooked Wild Rice
Michelle Lee PhotographyMinnesota Comfort Foods
Remember when I mentioned Minnesota staple foods? Well, a while ago I had asked for your favorite Minnesota comfort foods, and here’s the list we gathered.
The Best Minnesota Comfort Foods According to Locals
Tater tot hotdish is Minnesota’s favorite comfort food. So I asked you, other than tater tot hotdish, what’s your favorite Minnesota comfort food? These are Minnesota classics and also some foods that are just popular comfort foods in our state.
Gallery Credit: Carly Ross