Food was woven more intimately into the fabric of daily life in earlier times than it is today. It directly fueled physical accomplishments. All work was done by their own power. Through observation, living as part of the land, experimentation and visits from outside their own environment, the Indians knew the botanicals to use for:
- Foods
- Medicines
- Cosmetics
- Clothing
- Shelter
- Cordage
- Tools
After settling into early horticultural bands, groups, and societies, the Indians continued to use and lean more about the many wild plants that grew in their individual regions. The nomadic bands gathered plants and information as they traveled and learned more about a larger variety of plants and their uses and passed this knowledge along.
 | A stable culture depends on a stable food supply. The dawn of farming evolved with the needs of the aboriginal cultures, thousands of years ago. Many of our common cultivated plants were developed from wild plants. Three great Indian nations of South and Meso-America were responsible for the early "roots" of farming. With experimental ingenuity, these sophisticated early cultures domesticated and hybridized over 150 botanicals, including 6 species of corn (over 150 varieties and colours); 5 main species of beans (with countless coloured varieties); squash, gourds, and pumpkins; tomatoes; peppers; peanuts; strawberries; blueberries; Jerusalem Artichokes; potatoes both white and sweet; chocolate; vanilla; sunflowers; and many others. |
Aside from Indian horticultural achievements, there were freshwater and saltwater foods, game, and thousands of varieties of edible wild plants, seasonally available, to be enjoyed raw or cooked. The most important and widely used foods we know today are of native American origin. Almost 75 percent of our present food plants were new to Europeans five hundred years ago. The famous Indian triad, the "three sisters," soon became the most important foods in pioneer America - corn, squash, and beans.
The Eastern Woodland Indians were creative and accomplished cooks. Their varied diets were taken from the land, lakes, marshes, and coastal regions. The earth was both their storage cellar and their oven. Native American cooking is a continental cooking uniquely American Indian. Some of this unique cooking style is:
- Barbeques and Clambakes
- Steamed Lobsters and Stuffed Oysters
- Clam, Corn Chowders and Gumbos
- Multitudes of Cranberry Creations
- Boston Baked Beans
- Brunswick Stew
- Mincemeat Pie and Spoonbread
- Infinite Variety of Cornbreads, Puddings, and Dumplings
The cultural differences, linked to distinct geographical locations and regional growing seasons, determined how these various peoples lived, what they ate, and how they cooked. Most of the food prepared was done so salt free as salt was not readily available. Food was spiced to taste according to what was available during the season.
It is essential that wild game be prepared properly for cooking.The animal should be cleaned immediately or the meat might absorb a bad flavour from the last meal ingested.
Hang the animal in a cool place enclosed in a cheesecloth bag to protect it from flies. Small animals and birds should hang for 48 hours in order for body heat to dissipate.
If not needed immediately, small game may be frozen in cartons or bags of water with a little vinegar. This protects the meat from freezer burn and makes it juicier and more tender. With defrosting, this marinade melts away; if it was lightly spiced in advance, it can be reserved to begin the preparation process.
Most eastern tribes enjoyed only one full meal a day, a combination of breakfast and lunch, which they ate before noon. This was the time for hearty food, a robust rack of game or broiled fish, a crisp salad, baked pumpkin or squash, crunchy hazelnut cakes. The men ate first, usually from wooden or earthenware bowls. Afterward, the women and children ate what was left.
The Cree hunted, fished and trapped for meat. They hunted buffalo when they roamed the prairies in vast herds. As the buffalo began to disappear, other game became mainstays in the Cree diet.
- In the north, Barren and Woodland caribou became a staple meat source.
- Moose and deer were still plentiful and are enjoyed today.
- Birds provided a nice variety and were easier to hunt with the introduction of guns.
- Fish was caught year round and prepared in a variety of ways.
- Lake Trout
- Whitefish
- Herring
- Grayling
| Roast Saddle of Venison with Wild Rice |
These gray-blue aromatic berries were prized in Indian culture as a secret ingredient of so many of their varied and succulent recipes. The distinctive flavours of trout, elk, bear, and deer were enhanced with this woodsy fragrance. Also a popular winter flavouring widely used in tea and natural medicines as well as to add flavour to smoking mixtures. | Serves 12
- One 5-pound saddle of venison, dressed and served for easy carving
- dried juniper berries
- peppercorns
- 6-8 strips thick sliced bacon
Basting Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 2 cups of cider
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Preparation:
- Stud the saddle of venison with juniper berries and peppercorns.
- Lay the bacon strips over and secure with toothpicks.
- Stand the saddle on a rack in a large roasting pan.
- Prepare the basting marinade by simmering the honey or maple syrup in the cider in a small saucepan until it is well dissolved and steaming.
- Roast, basting often, for 1 1/2 hours in a preheated 350° F oven.
- Cool the roast for 20 minutes.
- Carve, serving one rib per portion.
- Serve on a bed of wild rice, together with the pan drippings.
Seasonally many northeastern Indian tribes migrated to the bays and Atlantic coastal areas, seeking the abundance of foods from the sea and salt marshes. Accompanied by feasting and ceremonial celebrations, these periods offered a welcome change from the woodland diet. Trout, one of the salmon family, is perhaps the most delicate of all freshwater fish. The lake and brook trout are protein-rich and may be enjoyed in a variety of ways.
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Baked Lake Trout
Serves 2
- One 3 to 4 pound lake trout
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil*
- Choice of herbs to taste (dillweed, parsley, basil, mint, etc.)
- 4 tablespoons fine cornmeal
Preparation:
- Clean and split the trout removing the head and backbone.
- Place in a greased baking pan, flesh side up, and sprinkle with the sunflower seed oil, herbs, and cornmeal.
- Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve with batterfried dandelion blossoms, wild rice or mixed vegetables.
* Sunflower Seeds:
- Seeds from the native North American annual were used extensively by many tribes. The seeds are an excellent protein source raw or roasted.
- Sunflower seed oil is extracted by bruising and boiling the seeds, then skimming the oily residue off the broth.
- The ground paste, retaining its natural oil, makes a fine butter.
- The roasted seeds and shells make an interesting coffee drink.
| Batter-Fried Dandelion Blossoms
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For full, showy blossoms, pick just before using, as blossoms close shortly after picking. The dandelion blssom responds quickly to temperture changes, it opens only in clear weather and closes as soon as temperature approach 90° F. |
Serves 8
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup of nut oil2 quarts freshly picked dandelion blossoms, washed and dried
- 1 1/2 cups of fine cornmeal
Preparation
- Add the water to the eggs and bet well.
- Heat the nut oil to sizzle in a cast-iron skillet.
- Dip the dandelion blossoms, one at a time, into the egg, and then into cornmeal.
- Sauté, turning often, until golden.
- Drain on brown paper.
- Serve either hot or cold, as snacks, a vegetable side dish, a tasty garnish.
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Natural Breads: Indians discovered the special properties of ashes mixed with food or water. They saw corn soaked in water with ashes became whiter and puffier and acquired a unique flavour. This became hominy, which was fermented into sour soup, fried with meats or wild greens, or baked into custard like puddings. Hominy was also dried and pounded into grits, which became various other nutritious dishes.
| Indian Cake - Bannock |
Its long, slender roots are a sought-after flavouring, confection, and medicine. They are easily dug and are used fresh or dried for their unique flavouring qualities. In some states wild ginger is on the protected species list. |
Serves 8
- 1 cup of white cornmeal
- 1/2 cup cattail flour*
- 1 teaspoon wood ashes** or baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 cup of sour milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 3 tablespoons corn oil
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Preparations:
- Mix together the cornmeal and cattail flour in a large bowl.
- Gradually add the remaining ingredients, blending well and working into a sturdy dough.
- Turn into a well-greased loaf pan (8" x 4") and bake in a preheated 425° F oven for 30 minutes.
- The dough may also be shaped and flattened into a greased cast-iron skillet and cooked over an open fire, turning once.
- Gauge the cooking time according to the fire, usually 10 minutes per side.
- Delicious as a trail bread, it is enhanced by the addition of a handful or two of seasonal (or dried) berries included in the raw batter before baking.
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**Ashes have special properties when mixed with foods, or in water, for various preparations. The Indians passed this along to the early Americans and it became a part of their traditional food as well. Ashes of distinctive woods such as cedar, juniper, hickory, etc. were definite flavourings, as well as cleansing and digestive agents. Ashes also bleach and soften some foods and add trace minerals, subtly influencing taste and consistency. Ashes in water create lye, which will harden and chemically change the substances to which it is added.
Spoon fresh ashes out of a fireplace, wood burning stove, or campfire for use in recipes. (In some cases substitutions are indicated) Be sure not to scrape the ashes out of the fireplace, or you will pick up unwanted and harmful tars and residues.
*Cattail Flour: During June the male blossoms, which are located above the female cattail bloom spike, produce quantities of bright yellow pollen. This nutritious, corn-flavoured food substance in easily gathered by wading through cattail marshes and gently bending each bloom spike over a deep bowl or bucket and "dusting" the golden pollen in (thereby pollinating the plant at the same time). This gathering is best accomplished on a still, dry afternoon. Gather as much fresh pollen as you can use soon or put by. It is an important flour extender and makes a good addition to biscuit, bread, and cake batters. It should be added in an equal amount to replace an equal portion of flour deleted from a recipe.
| Cattail Pollen Cakes |
 | Serves 4- 1 cup sifted cattail pollen
- 1 cup of fine white cornmeal or cattail flour*
- 3 Teaspoons finely chopped dried spice bush leaves
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups water or broth
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seed oil
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Preparation:
- Thoroughly blend all ingredients together into a smooth batter.
- On a very hot greased griddle, ladle the batter out into 4 large cakes.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minute, until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and finish cooking.
- Serve hot with nut butter** and maple syrup.
Cattail Flour: A great many of the botanicals natural to any area may be dehydrated and ground to make flour. The tastiest and most nutritious wild flours are those prepared from nutmeats. Seeds of various botanicals can be used to make flour as well as cereals, gruels, and puddings.
The finest flour in nature, which needs no sifting or refining is cattail and bulrush pollen. However, its fine also makes it very hard to wet, so it is easier to mix the pollen with a greater portion of other flour.
Botanicals for flour are:
Natural Flours and Flour Extenders
 | PLANT | PART USED | HARVEST |
| acorn | nutmeats | fall, spring |
| arrowhead | tubers | fall, spring |
| beech | nuts | fall |
| black walnuts | nuts | fall |
| butternut | nuts | fall |
| cattail | roots, pollen | all year (midsummer) |
| corn | seeds | summer, fall |
| daylily | tubers | summer, fall |
| dock | seeds | fall |
| great bulrush | roots, pollen, seeds | summer, fall |
| green amaranth | seeds | summer, fall |
| ground nuts | tubers | summer, fall |
| hazelnuts | nuts | fall |
| hickory | nuts | fall |
| Jerusalem artichoke | tubers | fall |
| lamb's quarters | seeds | fall |
| potato | tubers | fall |
| purslane | seeds | fall |
| shepherd's purse | seeds | fall |
| sunflower | seeds | fall |
| wild leek | bulbs, greens | spring |
| wild rice | seeds | fall |
| yellow pond lily | tubers | fall |
| Nut Butter |
 | Grind 1 cup or more shelled dried nuts or seeds into a paste, using stones, a mortar and pestle, or a blender. Many nut butters (pastes) are sweet enough plain. However, others may require a teaspoon or two of honey or maple syrup mixed in to taste.
This excellent, nutritious topping is great on homemade breads |
Preserving Wild Mushrooms
Although many mushroom enthusiasts follow the "black bear" approach of eating fresh mushrooms in abundance, wild mushrooms may be kept by freezing, canning, and drying. The latter is the simplest method and is especially good for those species put by for use in soups gravies, casseroles, and sauces.
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- Do not wash mushrooms that will be dried.
- Brush off the dirt and trim; large ones should be cut in half and sliced into 1/2" segments, or you may chop them.
- Spread the pieces to dry away from sunlight in any clean, ventilated setting.
- Keep the pieces from touching (as you would any herbs and fruits in the drying process).
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| Pickled Mushrooms |
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serves 8-10
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon coltsfoot ashes (optional)
- 1 small onion ,diced
- 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried bayberry leaves
- 1 tablespoon flavoured pickling spices
- 4 cups steamed wild mushrooms, drained (use about 6 cups raw mushrooms)
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Preparation
- Combine all ingredients (except the mushrooms) and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Place the mushrooms in a large glass jar and strain the pickling broth over them.
- Cover the jar and refrigerte for 24 hours or more before serving.
- These should keep safely in the refrigerator for days.
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Mullein
American Indians introduced the early settlers to smoking, which they used both medicinally and ceremonially. Pipes were most often used, although some tribes prepared and smoked cornhusk cigarettes.
The Indians smoked a variety of dried wild herbs, blended with a small amount of tobacco. Consequently, the nicotine content of their smoking was minor. The American Indian also used tobacco as a sacrificial offering, a medicine, and an effective insecticide.
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Mullein is a common biennial cosmopolitan herb whose leaves can be gathered and dried any time during the growing season. The Indians smoked the dried leaves in their pipes for the relief of sore throats, asthma, coughs, congestion, and inflammation of the lungs. Many tribes made a sweetened infusion of the leaves and roots for use in relieving the same symptoms in children.
This plant can be poisonous unless used in moderation.
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Dogwood: (Cornus sericea)
Known to the Cree of the Hudson Bay area as "Milawapamule." Scrapings of the wood and bark were mixed with herbs in the smoking mixture known as kinnikinnick. A decoction made from bark was used to treat coughs and fevers. An excellent scarlet dye was produced by boiling the roots in water and when iron was added, the dye became black.
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Natural Chewing Gums
Many plant and trees exude sap, latex, or resinous material that contain essential nutrients as well as natural sugars. Indians prized many different substances as "chewing gums," and Indian children made games out of seeking these out. Often, simply chewing on several fresh pine needles until their sweet and sour essences were extracted was enough to satisfy thirst and relieve hunger pains. They were also a source of vitamin C and a soothing treatment for mouth sores, sore throats, and coughs. Other "chewing gums" were used to relieve toothache, headache, and indigestion. Favoured substances included :
- Balsam Fir
- Black Birch Bark
- Charcoal
- Dandelion Roots
- Hollyhock
- Licorice Roots
- Marshmallow Root
- Pussytoes
- Sugar Pine
- Sweet Gum or Red Gum
- etc.
Aside from these, there are countless additional substances in nature that may be used. Besides saps, resins, roots, and peeled stems of botanicals , the Indians also used many leaves and blossoms of herbs as seasonal chewing material. Principal among these was tobacco, which was chewed by many Indian peoples. |
 | Plantain Roots
The roots were chewed especially to releive
toothache and thirst. |
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