From the lobby murals and montages depicting the culture and legends of the Pima and Maricopa tribes, to the pottery, baskets, textiles, and ceremonial costumes on display, Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa offers total cultural immersion into the local American Indian experience. Kai, the signature restaurant at this deluxe resort owned by the Gila River Indian Community and located on its 372,000-acre reservation, lends a bold haute flair to American Indian staples like squash, beans, corn, buffalo, and cactus flowers. Crops like olives, citrus, melons, lettuce, and herbs are farmed on tribal land, and others are sourced from Native Seeds/SEARCH, a non-profit that preserves traditional crops and seeds. Each hand-painted menu, embossed to resemble seeds (“kai” in Pima), depicts a different story by tribal artist Mike Zilliox, and, if you’re lucky, you may spy wild horses outside during dinner. CITY asked Executive Chef Michael O’Dowd to explain some of the more unusual ingredients in his kitchen.

Saguaro Blossom Syrup
A very sweet, smoky syrup from the red fruit of the saguaro cactus, cooked slowly over a mesquite fire in a ceremonial process by tribes. Here, it’s drizzled over grilled tenderloin of buffalo with smoked corn purée, barbeque scarlet runner beans, mushrooms and cholla buds, as well as over strawberry desserts.

Cholla buds
After carefully removing their spines, these buds from the “jumping cholla” cactus, which taste like a cross between asparagus and artichoke after cooking, garnish buffalo and black cod entrees, and are also used in relishes.

Tepary beans
These nutty-flavored tiny flat oval beans are used in a hummus with chile peppers, anchovies, and lime, and also in hashes and relishes.

Ojo de Cabra Mud
This bean purée lies beneath dried mango and Sandalwood Dusted Lion’s Paw Baja scallops, with slow-roasted salsify root and fennel pollen drizzle.

Membrillo
A quince paste, used with puréed figs and spooned over a foie gras puff pastry tart in the Desert Mint & White Sage Tea Marinated Duck Breast entrée, is served with gaujillo chile caramelized carrots.

—SHARON MCDONNELL

For more information about Native Seeds/SEARCH, go to www.nativeseeds.org