Native American Indian Foods
Before preparing a favorite Indian recipe, consider learning about the foods used to make traditional Native American dishes. Foods that were traditionally used in historic recipes bring out authentic flavors. From grains to meat, discover what foods were and still are commonly used to make hearty and nutritious dishes for friends and family in the Native American community.
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Fruits and Vegetables
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The natives of America lived well on a variety of fruits and vegetables indigenous to the land. Before Europeans discovered the Americas, these Indians survived on what they call the "three sisters", corn, beans and squash. Additionally, Native Americans cooked with onions, potatoes, wild celery and garlic. Various species of amaranth, a green leafy plant, were eaten boiled or fresh. Tribes from all corners of the Americas cooked with roots in stews or ground them up for flour.
Berries and other fruit were also common in the historic Native American diet. Wild sarsaparilla berries were crushed by the Algonquin Indians to make wine. The Tolowa Indians mixed manzanita berries with salmon roe and sugar to create sweetened cakes.
Grains
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Corn was considered sacred by the Choctaw Indians, according to Dr. Rita Laws in her article, "Native Americans and Vegetarianism." Corn, acorns and rice were common grains used in everything from baking bread to mixing it with meat and vegetables to make stews. Seeds from many vegetables such as the Yellow Paloverde plant, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds were ground to make porridge's or paste for recipes. Grains are a high-ranking staple of the Native American diet.
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Commonly Consumed Meats
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Meats were not consumed as much as vegetables and grains in the historical Native American diet. However, the increase in Europeans coming to the Americas meant an increase in meat consumption. American Indians hunted a wide selection of animals including buffalo, deer, geese, rabbits and fish. Inuit Indians sought seals and whales. Snakes, monkeys and even porcupines were consumed. Many Indian tribes believed that all parts of an animal should be put to use. Skin and bones were used to create food containers, and organ meats were prepared with seasonings and were cooked for consumption.
Desserts and Sweeteners
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Historically, the Chocktaw Indians believed that a never-ending supply of melon would be available to them in heaven. Other sweet treats included sap from the Desert Milkweed plant, heated and chewed as gum. The Apache Indians would scrape off the inner bark from box elder trees and boil it down for sugar. The children from the Okanagan tribes sucked on Toadflax flowers for the sweet nectar. The Sioux mixed blueberries with flour and sugar to create pudding. Because refined sugar was a long process to make, Native Americans did not consume as much sugar as Americans consume today.
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References
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- Photo Credit dried indian corn image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
