Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

November 18, 2000 - Issue 23

 

Recipes Adapted From The 1600's

 

Journey Cake

This recipe is very similar to that used by the Wampanoag long before the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts.

   
Ingredients

1 large egg
1 cups milk
3/4 to 1 cup yellow corn meal
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
   
Directions:  
  1. Preheat a griddle or electric skillet to 375 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, mix the milk and egg together.
  3. Add dry ingredients. (Batter will be thin.)
  4. Spray the griddle with vegetable spray.
  5. Pour batter onto the griddle as you would pancakes.
  6. When bubbles form and the edges are dry, turn cakes over and cook on the other side.
  7. Flip onto a plate and serve alone or with jelly or maple syrup.
   

(Makes about 20)

   

Sautauthig
(Cornmeal Blueberry Mush)

   

Another favorite dish of the Native Americans during colonial times was Sautauthig (pronounced sawí-taw-teeg). Sautauthig was a simple pudding made with dried and crushed blueberries, dried and cracked corn (or samp), and water. Later, the settlers added milk, butter and sugar when available.

The Pilgrims loved Sautauthig, and many historians believe it was part of the first Thanksgiving feast. In a letter to friends back in England, one colonist describes how Sauthauthig was prepared:

"...this is to be boyled or stued with a gentle fire, till it be tender, of a fitt consistence, as of Rice so boyled, into which Milke, or butter be put either with sugar or without it, it is a food very pleasant...but it must be observed that it be very well boyled, the longer the better, some will let it be stuing the whole day: after it is Cold it groweth thicker, and is commonly Eaten by mixing a good Quantity of Milke amongst it."

   

This recipe gives us an idea of what Sautauthig tasted like.

   
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup cornmeal or quick cooking grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
2 cups fresh, frozen or canned blueberries or 1/2 cup dried blueberries
Directions:
  1. In a 2-quart saucepan, heat water and milk until bubbles form around edge of pan.
  2. Stir constantly while slowly adding the cornmeal or grits and salt until well combined.
  3. Reduce heat to low.
  4. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Stir in maple syrup or honey.
  6. Gently stir in blueberries.
 

Yield: about 6 regular servings or 12 tasting-sized servings (about 4 3/4 cups)

 

Source: Plimoth-on-Web http://www.plimoth.org/index.html

 

 

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