Xákwlʼi: Lingít "Ice Cream"
soapberry (Shepherdia canadensis)


soapberries I painted on a bentwood box lid
The soapberry bush grows in drier parts of Southeast Alaska, up Glacier Bay and the Taku River, near Klukwan, and into Northern British Columbia and the Yukon. It is also found in Interior and Southcentral Alaska. The bush bears bright red berries, which are high in saponins, a chemical with special foaming properties. This propensity for foaming made soapberries the perfect fruit for creating an ice cream-like dish in traditional cultures.
I had heard about soapberries for years, but had never tasted it. I asked some friends if they knew anyone who could teach me how to prepare them. Thatʼs how I met my friend and clan mother, Kaaxʼkwhei Leona Santiago.
Leona came to our shop and taught me the traditional way to prepare soapberries. We made these together and had a great time. Then, we collaborated and created a fusion ice cream using western ice cream methods and the traditional preparation. In the flavor, we used acid to help mute the bitterness of the berries. Just as they foam like soap, soapberries share the same bitterness. The result was a hit, especially with local Indigenous eaters.


Every two years, the Sealaska Heritage Institute convenes Celebration, and brings traditional peoples together from all across Southeast Alaska and beyond. At this event, dances and other cultural practices of many clans create a rich tapestry of sights, sounds, and flavors. While much of the focus is on traditional dances, Celebration also includes a Native arts and crafts market, a fashion show, and a juried art contest.
Kaax'kwhei and Kaayistaan sampling our fusion soapberry ice cream
Historically, Celebration has also featured a soapberry making contest. The year I signed up to enter the contest, there weren’t enough entries, so the event included a staged demonstration of how to make soapberries. I had the honor of helping a Lingít elder from Atlin, British Columbia show how to make soapberries on stage in a room filled with elder spectators. I brought my tabletop mixer to the event, but much to my chagrin, the whip attachment didn’t reach the bottom of the bowl, so it took a long time for the berries to whip. When the dish was finally finished, I took samples around to the dozens of elders in the audience. I’ll never forget how their faces lit up when the foamy delight hit their lips.
Like many traditional dishes, soapberry is a rare treat for most Lingít in modern times. It may be years between enjoying the berries, at large celebrations such as koo.éexʼ or dance contests.
Western ice creams are also foams. Churning ice cream helps trap air bubbles in its matrix, and the resulting foam is then preserved in the frozen product. Soapberries make a foam more like a meringue, and they must be enjoyed soon after being whipped or else they will deflate.
Traditionally, after gathering the berries, one would use their hands like paddles, to whip soapberries into a foam in a carved wooden bowl. This would take several hours, with the task being passed from one to another member of the family, until the proper foam was achieved. In modern times, a counter top mixer makes quick work of soapberries.
Using canned soapberries is preferred. The canning process starts breaking down the fruit and releasing the saponins. Either unripe green berries or red ripe berries can be used. Green berries will produce a whitish foam, while red berries produce a pink or light red foam.






soapberries whipped into foam
Soapberry Recipe
This recipe was taught to me by Kaaxʼkwhei Leona Santiago and is re-printed here with her permission.
INGREDIENTS
2 T soapberries (preferably canned)
1 t sugar
1/4 c chilled fresh fruit, such as bananas, strawberries or blueberries (can also use thawed frozen fruit).
INSTRUCTIONS
Clean bowl of standing mixer thoroughly and chill bowl in refrigerator or freezer.
Place soapberriers in chilled mixer bowl, and whip with the whip attachment on low speed.
After a few minutes, gradually increase the speed to high, adding a splash of water.
After a few more minutes, add the sugar.
Keep whipping, making sure that the whip attachment reaches the bottom of the bowl.
After 5-10 minutes, you should have nearly filled the bowl with foam.
If desired, add fresh fruit and whip lightly to combine. Fruit adds a little sweetness to balance the bitterness of the berries as well as some body to the foam.
Enjoy immediately. The traditional way to eat the berries is to suck air through the foam back and forth before swallowing it.
How to pronounce "ice cream" in Lingit
X'unei Lance Twitchell teaches students to say "wudlit'íxʼ xákwlʼi"
Xákwlʼi: Lingit Ice Cream
Traditional preparation of soapberries.
Marc Wheeler
7/5/20243 min read