Taste the Okanagan: Kelowna’s Connection to tmxʷulaxʷ Land

In the Okanagan Valley, everything begins with the land. While exploring the tastes of Kelowna, it’s worthwhile taking time to connect with the origins of the delicious sips and eats that abound.

“The word for land [in nsyilxcən], tmxʷulaxʷ…when you break that down, it means the sphere of living things that turn and rotate,” says syilx Elder Wilfred “Grouse” Barnes.

The tmxʷulaxʷ (land) is not only a living thing, but it is also at the heart of the region’s culinary scene. You can taste the soil when you bite into a juicy, sun-ripened peach. You can see the bounty of the land as you walk among the vineyards rooted deep in ancient soils or drive by the orchards and farms during harvest season.

All this abundance is first brought to life with the addition of siwɬkʷ (water), x̌iyáɬnxʷ (sun), and lots of love from local farmers, viticulturists, and orchardists who are passionate about what they do.