What exactly is Native American Food?
” as though it were an exotic, ethnic secret. When I turn the question back on the questioners, people tend to answer: “Oh, they used to eat nut and berries, roots and small mammals, didn’t they?” In fact, I tell them that they are probably fixing and eating Native American foods in their own kitchens every day. They are generally unconvinced, so I ask them what they had for dinner the night before. “Well, let’s see, we had mashed potatoes, grilled salmon, green beans, corn and chocolate pudding for dessert.” All of these items are traditional Native American foods that have become part of our shared national cupboard. There are two distinct ways of describing and preparing Native American food and cooking. One is the traditional approach, the way dishes were made historically, using indigenous ingredients and, whenever possible, original cooking techniques. The other method, the one people follow most often, is adapting Native recipes and foods to modern influences in terms of which f
