Bannock & Boreal Beauty: Yukon’s Foodie Secrets
- Ginger North
- Apr 13
- 6 min read
#30CanadianFoods: Golden, crispy comfort food: fried bread!
Welcome to Yukon: Where the Bannock’s Hot and the Weather’s Not
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to eat well and stay warm in a place where -40 is just another Tuesday, welcome to the Yukon. Today’s feature in our #30CanadianFoods challenge is all about embracing the North—with a golden, crispy bite of bannock.
Yes, bannock. That beautiful, bready, fry-it-or-bake-it comfort food with roots as deep as the Yukon River. We’re sharing a bannock recipe that’s a staple at gatherings, festivals, and potlucks throughout the territory. More on that below—but first, let’s talk about why the Yukon deserves a spot on your foodie and travel radar.
📌 Psst! New here? You can catch up on the full #30CanadianFoods challenge right here or explore all our posts so far at this link.
A Taste of the Territory
Yukon isn’t just a name on the top left of a map—it’s wild, resilient, and rich in culture. Home to just over 40,000 people (more than half in Whitehorse), it’s a land where the boreal forest meets icy peaks, and where northern lights dance across the winter skies like nobody’s watching.
A few things to love:
The Klondike Gold Rush: It put Dawson City on the map and left a legacy of wild stories and even wilder facial hair.
More dogs than people (probably): The Yukon Quest dog sled race is legendary. Huskies are royalty here.
24-hour daylight in summer: Midnight hikes? Yes, please.
If you’re a Northerner reading this, we hope we did your home justice. If you’re not? Keep reading. You’re gonna want to visit.
Rooted in the Land: Yukon First Nations
Yukon is home to 14 distinct First Nations, and incredibly, 11 of them are self-governing—something no other province or territory can say. Culture here isn’t tucked into a museum; it’s woven into daily life.
If you want to respectfully learn and experience more, consider:
Yukon First Nations Culture and Tourism Association (YFNCT): They highlight Indigenous-owned businesses and cultural experiences, from traditional craft workshops to storytelling tours.
Da Kų Cultural Centre in Haines Junction: A powerful space where you can learn about the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations through exhibits, art, and seasonal programming.
Adäka Cultural Festival (Whitehorse): A summer celebration of Indigenous art, music, and food. Open to all, with a big, warm welcome.
We share these not as tourist tips, but as opportunities to learn, support, and show up better.
🧳 If You Visit
So, what’s there to do in the Yukon? A lot more than freezing your eyelashes.
Think of it as the “Patagonia of the North.” Jagged peaks, pristine lakes, and golden tundra in the fall. If you like hiking, solitude, or just wildly photogenic landscapes, this one’s for you.
2. Dawson City
This historic gold rush town still feels like a movie set, complete with wooden boardwalks and saloons. Bonus: you can try the Sourtoe Cocktail here (a drink with an actual mummified toe in it… but we’re more into the bannock, thanks).
Open year-round, these natural hot springs are your reward after a snowy adventure—or an excuse to soak under the stars. Add in a scenic drive from Whitehorse and it’s a full-on experience.
🥘 Where to Eat (Locally and Lovingly)
Forget chains. Here are three spots where you’ll find real Yukon flavour, good vibes, and solid value.
1. Burnt Toast Café (Whitehorse)
This funky, artsy café is a brunch dream come true. Local elk sausage, Arctic char eggs benny, and sourdough that could win awards. Reviewers say it’s a “must-stop” and praise the friendly staff and cozy vibe.
2. Klondike Rib & Salmon (Whitehorse)
A summer-only spot with Northern classics: bison meatloaf, reindeer sausage, and bannock that’ll make you emotional. It’s housed in one of the oldest buildings in the city and always buzzing.
3. BonTon & Company (Dawson City)
A small but mighty spot that focuses on Northern-sourced ingredients. Menus change seasonally but think moose tartare and spruce tip syrup desserts. They’ve got that “we care about our food” energy.
📦 Can’t Visit? Order These Yukon Goodies
Support the North from your couch—no parka required. These small businesses ship across Canada and are very much worth it.
Aroma Borealis: Hand-foraged teas made with boreal botanicals like fireweed, spruce tips, and labrador tea. Also all-natural body care, aromatherapy and herbal skin care products. Small batch and beautifully packaged. 🛒 Aroma Borealis.com
Bean North Coffee Roasting Co.: Organic, fair trade, and roasted right in the forest near Whitehorse. Their “Midnight Sun” blend is a fan favourite. 🛒beannorth.com
Aurora Heat: Okay, not edible, but cozy! Indigenous-owned, they make reusable hand warmers from sustainably sourced beaver fur. A warm Yukon hug in your mittens.
The Recipe: Yukon-Style Bannock
Bannock is a food of adaptation and resilience. Originally introduced during colonization, it’s been reclaimed and reinvented by Indigenous communities across Canada—including Yukon First Nations—who’ve made it their own in beautiful ways.
This recipe is inspired by generations of Yukon cooks, particularly shared through festivals like the Adäka Cultural Festival and Yukon River Quest events.
Yukon Bannock (Fried or Baked)
Makes 6–8 rounds
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup lard or shortening (you can use butter)
1 ¼ cups cold water
Optional: handful of dried berries or pinch of sugar for sweet bannock
Directions
In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the lard until crumbly. Add water slowly and mix until just combined—don’t overwork it!
For fried bannock: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Form dough into rounds and flatten slightly. Fry each side until golden (about 3 mins per side).
For baked bannock: Shape into a round and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25–30 mins, until golden.
Serve warm with jam, stews, or just butter and a quiet moment.
*Want an easier way to make bannock try Grandma Treesaw’s bannock’s mix. They are working on getting online ordering hooked up, so keep watching their website.
🌞 Wrap It Up, Northern Style
Whether you fry it in a pan or bake it in the oven, Yukon bannock is the kind of food that wraps you in a metaphorical flannel blanket and hands you a mug of something steamy. It’s hearty, humble, and full of stories.
We hope you’ll give it a go—maybe while sipping some wild tea or plotting your next great Canadian escape. And if that escape points north? Pack your sense of adventure. And maybe some stretchy pants.
So far, we’ve zig-zagged across the country, from one end to the other and way up into the North. But buckle up, because we’re not done yet.
Our next leg of the #30CanadianFoods challenge has a bit of a twist—we’re going back the way we came and back in time. Kind of like a culinary time machine. But without the confusing dials.
Canada i s home to some incredible heritage villages and historic sites—many of them UNESCO-recognized—and they’re serving up more than history lessons. From Old Québec to Old Town Lunenburg, the Rideau Canal to Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, these places offer a taste of the past… literally. Some even let you sample old-school Canadian dishes the way folks made them generations ago. I’ve tried a few myself, and let’s just say: the past knows how to season things.
So bring your curiosity and your appetite, because the next round of posts is all about historic eats and the places that keep those stories alive.
And when we finally wrap up the whole series? I’m pulling out a personal favourite—what I believe is the most iconic Canadian dish. Will everyone agree with me? Absolutely not. Am I going to tell you why I’m right anyway? You bet I am.
Stay tuned, stay curious, and for the love of all things bannock—stay hungry.
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