Observations on the Stream and Cherokee Indian Meals Traditions
( by william bartram in 1789, from “transaction of the american ethnological society vol. 3 pt. 1. excerpts )
They use a powerful lixivium ready from the ash of bean stalks and different greens in all their corn-primarily based ready meals, which they are saying in any other case breeds worms of their stomachs.
the climbing vines or stems of the climber ( Bigonia crucigera ) are equally divided lengthwise into 4 elements by the identical variety of their membranes considerably resembling a bit of white ribbon so, when the vine is lower and divided transversely , presents to the attention the likeness of a cross. this membrane has a candy and nice style. Carolina nation people lower these vines to items, together with Chinese language blackberry and sassafras roots, and boil them of their beer within the spring, as a weight-reduction plan drink, to skinny and purify the blood and juices, it’s a primary ingredient in Howards well-known infusion to remedy yaws, and so on., whose virtues and use he obtained from Indian docs.
Their animal weight-reduction plan consists primarily of venison, bear meat, turkeys, hares, poultry, and home birds; and likewise of home species, resembling cattle, goats and pigs, by no means horse meat, though they’ve horses in nice abundance; nor do they eat the meat of canine, cats, or any creature that’s rejected by whites. their vegetable meals consists primarily of corn, rice, convelvulus candy potatoes, or these nutritious roots usually referred to as candy potatoes or Spanish potatoes (however within the nation of the brooks they by no means eat the Irish potato).
all species of cucurbita, resembling zucchini, pumpkins, watermelons, and so on. however of cucumbers, they don’t domesticate any of the species but, nor do they domesticate our farinaceous grains resembling wheat, barley, spelt, rye, buckwheat, and so on. (with out together with using the plow, though it was launched a number of years in the past). the caciques rejected him, claiming that he would starve his elders who have been devoted to planting and promoting their merchandise, and promoting their merchandise to retailers, for his or her sustenance and upkeep; seeing that by permitting the retailers to make use of the plow, one or two folks may simply increase extra grain than all of the village elders may hoe. turnips, parsnips, salads, and so on., of which they’re unaware.
however along with the cultivated fruits talked about above, with peaches, oranges, plums (chickasaw plums), figs, and a few apples, they’ve in use an excellent number of wild or native greens, each fruits and roots, viz: diospyros, morus rubra, gleditsia, miltiloba, s.tricanthus; all of the species of juglans and acorns, from which they extract a really candy oil, which enters into all their cooking; and several other species of palm timber, which give them with all kinds of nice and nutritious meals. in addition they have grapes in nice selection and abundance, on which they sometimes feed when ripe; They’re additionally ready for storage and storage for winter and spring (vitis vinifera; I name them that as a result of they’re shut, when it comes to the breadth of the fruit and its form and taste, way more to the grapes of Europe and Asia, of which wine is produced from, and they’re particularly completely different from our wild grapes, and so completely different from the fox or bull grape of penn and carolina)
A species of smilax (S. pseudochina) supplies them with scrumptious and nutritious meals, ready from its huge, tuberous roots. they dig up these roots, and whereas they’re nonetheless contemporary and stuffed with juice, they lower them into items, after which mash them properly in picket mortars; They put this substance in vessels virtually full of unpolluted water, mixing it properly with paddles, whereas the finer elements are nonetheless floating within the liquid, they decant it into different vessels, leaving the farinaceous substance on the backside, which, being taken out and dried, stays a impalpable powder or farina, reddish in colour. then, when blended with boiling water, it turns into a phenomenal jelly which, sweetened with honey and sugar, supplies probably the most nutritious meals for kids or the aged; or when blended with positive cornmeal and fried in contemporary bear fats, glorious fritters are obtained.
