Representative list of foods associated with Great Lakes Cuisine
Meats
Farm-raised meats – Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, pheasant, elk, deer, rabbit
Wild-hunted game – Deer, turkey, duck, various woodland birds
Common techniques – Sausage-making, slow roasting lesser cuts (often with aromatics and other liquids added), smoking, grilling, and other preservation methods
Fish
Traditional Great Lakes fish – Sturgeon, whitefish, lake trout
Contemporary Great Lakes fish – Several varieties of salmon, rainbow trout
Other fresh lake fish – Walleye, Perch, Bass, several varieties of sunfish (panfish), Northern Pike
Note: Due to industrial contamination in the early and mid-1900’s, Great Lakes fish can contain levels of mercury and PCBs that can be harmful as they accumulate in the body. Active programs are in place to diminish these levels, but many states still issue eating guidelines with recommended frequency of consumption. Michigan’s can viewed here.
Common techniques – Battered and fried, stuffed and roasted, smoked, pickled
Vegetables
Native – Corn, squash, pumpkins, beans, and Jerusalem artichokes
Immigrant introduced – Cabbage (red, green, savoy), beets, potato, asparagus (green and white), radish, kohlrabi, rutabaga
Common techniques – Fresh, roasted, grilled, boiled and pureed, pickled
Fruits
Tree Fruits – Apples, pears, plums, sour cherry, pawpaw
Berries – Cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, red mulberry
Other – Rhubarb
Common techniques – Fresh, baked (often in pastries or pies), sauces, jams, preserves, “butters”, juice
Other
Honey, Maple Syrup