Juniper Berry Rubbed Chicken with Blackberry BBQ Sauce
Juniper berries have a bright piney taste. They are the dark blue berry-like cones of the juniper tree, a member of the cypress family. Juniper—sometimes confused with cedar—has been used by Indigenous peoples across North America for ceremonial, medicinal, and culinary purposes since time immemorial. Learn more about how juniper has been used by Indigenous Peoples from the Native Memory Project.
Blackberries are a food source for people across North America. In British Columbia, the only native blackberry plant is the trailing blackberry. Berries can be eaten fresh, dried, pounded with meat to preserve as pemmican, canned or frozen. Uses go beyond the berries—“older red leaves, considered the most flavourful, were picked by some coastal peoples and boiled into a tasty tea. Medicine from leaves and roots treated ailments from dysentery to sores in the mouth. The vines supported and covered various types of food in steaming pits, and berry juice was used as a purple skin stain.” [1] Once the thorns are removed, blackberry canes can also be used as a material for making baskets. [2]
Teetl'it Gwich’in Language Lesson
Juniper | tsiivii ch’ok
Blackberry | dineech’uh
Meet The Chef
Steph Baryluk
Chef Steph Baryluk, a proud Teetl’it Gwich’in from Teetl’it Zheh (Fort McPherson), Treaty 11 Territory, draws deep inspiration from her Arctic upbringing, where hunting, fishing, and land stewardship shaped her connection to food and cultural heritage.
With more than 10 years of experience as a Red Seal Indigenous Chef, Steph is passionate about preserving and sharing Indigenous culinary traditions through education, culinary training, and community engagement.
Named one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women in 2024 and a recipient of the WXN Food Industry Award, Chef Steph is a leader in advancing Indigenous food systems. From community kitchens to the global stage, she combines her culinary expertise with advocacy to inspire future generations while promoting sustainability and celebrating Indigenous cultural heritage.
