by Julie Joplin
Guest writer
St. Joseph a destination for an international dining experience? You betcha, Si Amigo, Haa.
St. Joseph made it to the food critic’s column of the New York Times for its authentic New Orleans cuisine at the Krewe restaurant on College Avenue. It’s become a popular destination for many out-of-towners, as well as local residents.
And you don’t have to go to Germany, where many of our ancestors originated, to savor a true German sausage, complete with condiments of sauerkraut and horseradish and served from the front porch of the St. Joseph Meat Market on most summer Fridays.
The brat sale supports diverse organizations, from dancers, to Lions, to snowmobile clubs and others.
Jesse Stueve, the St. Joseph Meat Market master sausage maker, supervises a weekly production of 6,000 pounds of brats, sausage, wieners and bologna, all sold locally. The beef used in the processing is raised on area farms. The upper wall of the market displays hundreds of Minnesota and national awards and State Fair ribbons earned from competitions; unique products originating in St. Joseph.
The community is becoming a destination for another international food spectacular: Somalian sambusas made by hand by Mama Linn and her crew. The sambusas are made of beef, vegetables and seasoning, wrapped in a light breading and deep fried. One should line up early to get a taste as they sell out quickly at the Millstream Night Market that opens at 5 p.m. Mondays through August on the alley between Krewe and LaPlayette. Mama Linn makes 300 sambusas for the market. She said she would like to start a restaurant here, one that would fit right into this adventuresome food scene.
For cooking at home, The Minnesota Street Market carries a variety of Asian and Indian cooking sauces. Also available are ready-to-eat Indian meals and sambusas made right down the road in Bloomington, Minnesota.
Creating cultural bridges begins with appreciating ties to our own special food heritage: the farmsmoke house, lefse making at grandma’s, hunting wild asparagus and the first rhubarb crisp of spring. We would like to hear from you with your stories — the stories and food traditions that make your heart sing and your stomach growl.
Send us a note at Cultural Bridges: joetownculturalbridges@gmail.com
There are more St. Joseph food stories to come; stay tuned.
