Saskatchewan Comfort Food: Perogies, Pie and Pickerel

Saskatchewan comfort food tastes of the Prairies: perogies, cabbage rolls, farmer sausage, borscht, saskatoon berry pie and pickerel from cold northern lakes. The best versions come from church basements, family kitchens and small cafes. Plan a trip around a region, check hours and visit in summer for berries.

Pick a region: Regina and the south, Saskatoon and the centre, or the Qu'Appelle Valley and the east. Look at the hours, since many small cafes close early in the afternoon and on Sundays.

What is Saskatchewan comfort food?

It is hearty, filling and simple: perogies, cabbage rolls, farmer sausage, borscht, roast beef with gravy, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, pickerel (walleye) from northern lakes, and pies. Perogies and cabbage rolls are everyday foods that Ukrainian settlers carried across the province.

The best versions come from church basements, family kitchens and small cafes. The food is not fancy, and the portions are large.

Where is Regina Ukrainian food?

Regina Ukrainian food is found in delis, bakeries, church kitchens and a few restaurants. Many Ukrainian-Canadian communities hold suppers where volunteers make hundreds of perogies. Ask at a deli or a bakery when the next one is held.

Regina also has a farmers market in Victoria Park, where vendors sell baked goods, preserves and prepared food, and the city's cafes and diners serve comfort food all day. Check each place's own page before you go. The Ukrainian deli guide explains how to order at a counter.

What is Saskatoon berry pie?

Saskatoon berry pie is the province's signature dessert. The berry grows wild on the Prairies and tastes somewhere between a blueberry and an almond, with a slightly nutty centre. The pie is similar to blueberry pie and is often served with fresh cream, and cafes bake it across Regina.

Look for it in summer, when the berries are in season. Many cafes freeze berries to serve it through the year. A warm slice with ice cream is a classic end to a meal. The berry also appears in jam, syrup, muffins and even perogies.

Where can you try Saskatoon berry perogies?

Saskatoon perogy makers and Ukrainian-style kitchens in the city sometimes add Saskatoon berry perogies in the season, so ask what is on the menu and check that a shop is open. Berry farms just south of Saskatoon along the river are seasonal stops that combine a Ukrainian-inspired menu with a rustic farm setting and berry picking.

Visit in summer for the berry season. Call ahead to confirm hours, since farms often have seasonal schedules.

What is a Prairie diner like?

A Prairie diner is a roadside or main street cafe that serves breakfast all day, soup, sandwiches, pie and a plate of the day. In Moose Jaw you will find a 1950s-style diner serving generous portions, with dozens of chicken strip flavours, and small towns have diners in barns and gas stations that are praised for their perogies.

These small-town stops are the heart of road travel here. Ask what the cook makes best, and eat at the counter. Many of these cafes post the soup of the day on a chalkboard by the door, and the pie list on a card by the till; both are worth reading before you sit. Expect friendly questions about where you are from and where you are heading, and expect a refill of coffee before you ask for one.

What are the best Saskatchewan restaurants for a road trip?

Saskatchewan restaurants worth a stop are spread across a large province, so plan around the drive. Choose a lunch stop every two or three hours. Fill the tank in towns where you eat, since distances between services can be long.

Look at the hours, since many small cafes close early in the afternoon and on Sundays. Carry cash for places that do not take cards. The Banff and Jasper guide covers the mountains west of the Prairies.

What about pickerel and other lake fish?

Pickerel, the local name for walleye, is a mild, flaky fish from northern lakes, often pan fried or deep fried and served with lemon and tartar sauce. It is a summer cottage and fishing lodge staple. Ask a restaurant whether it is fresh or frozen, and where it came from.

Other lake fish include whitefish and northern pike. Pickerel is one of the province's specialties. A fish fry on a Friday is a common tradition in small towns.

How do you plan a Saskatchewan food trip?

Pick a region: Regina and the south, Saskatoon and the centre, or the Qu'Appelle Valley and the east. Leave time for a church supper or a farm stop. Visit in summer for berries or in fall for harvest suppers.

Weather matters. Winter storms close highways, and summer thunderstorms can be fierce. A winter trip calls for a full tank, a blanket and a plan to stop early if the wind rises. Church suppers, fowl suppers and fall harvest dinners are advertised on hall signs and in local papers, so keep an eye out as you drive through small towns. Check road reports before you drive. The Canada guides hub lists more regional pages.

After your trip, get the Mosey app, rate the perogies, the pie and the pickerel you found and build a list of the Prairie tables you would recommend to a friend.