(SCOTT MORAN / iNFOnews.ca)

OPINION

As a local producer of wild edibles, a niche portion of my business is the work I do with bartenders in the Okanagan Valley.

Last night, May 23, was the Hail Caesar showdown at Lake City Casino's Gateway21. Four restaurants sent their best to compete for the title of best Caesar in town. Hopefully next year there will be more competitors to spice things up.

The Caesar is a truly Canadian concoction. It originates in Calgary where some thoughtful Italian restaurateurs experimented with the ingredients of their clam and tomato pasta to make an accompanying beverage. The rest is history and Canadians from coast to coast have a unique appreciation for sipping savoury flavours that in most settings would be better suited as barbecue seasoning.

I believe it is inevitable that this love of salty and spicy Caesars will slowly breed a desire for something new to satisfy our palette. The question is; what will it be? Are we capable of moving outside of the realm of Tabasco and fish juice to something completely different, and if so, who will be the first to pull it off?

The new Canadian savoury beverage of the 21st century could be smoky; it could have elements of wasabi or horseradish, or possibly have the bribe of fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut or kimchi. This may be hard for our food brains to comprehend, but how can it be crazier than clam juice, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce (which already contains fermented ingredients such as soy and fish sauce) and the plethora of possible ingredients that make the modern Caesar.

Keep an open mind and brace your taste buds for whatever salty, spicy, or sour drink comes next. In a few decades it could be part of our national identity!

Check out my Facebook page Everything Wild to stay up to date on our local foraging scene.

— Scott Moran is a local forager discovering his own path to food freedom.

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