As a member of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation at Cape Croker Reserve, Chef Zach Keeshig was born in Wiarton and raised in Owen Sound, Ontario.

He started in the restaurant world at 17, then continued studying at the Georgian College for Culinary Arts. After that, he went on to work in various restaurants across Ontario with many of the top Chefs in Canada including Eigensinn Farm, Restaurant Pearl Morissette and Langdon Hall.

In 2020, he started a pop-up restaurant at the weekend farmers' market in Owen Sound. It fused Ojibwa cuisine with modern culinary techniques and ingredients.

And in November 2024, he opened Naagan, a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Owen Sound that continued his journey of exploring and presenting Indigenous cuisine through a fine-dining lens.

In this episode, Chef Keeshig talked about his idea of Indigenous cuisine, the roles that colonialism and tradition play in food, and more.

Don't miss these Stoveside Stories - and bon appetit!