0210 - Traditional Foods - Choctaw Nation Cultural Services

0210 - Traditional Foods - Choctaw Nation Cultural Services:

Kantak Pvlvska, "Greenbrier Root Bread", is made from the roots of a thorny vine, common in the Southeastern woods. The roots are dug up, collected, and washed. The outside of the root is then pealed off. While still in a moist state, the inner portions of the roots are pounded in a mortar to form a paste. The paste is made into cakes, which are fried in bear's oil. Alternatively, the roots can be dried before pounding, and made into flour.

Lukckuk Ahe, "Mud Potato", is made from the root of the groundnut (Apios americana). The white-fleshed roots from the groundnut are dug up, collected, and washed. They are then boiled in water and served as Irish Potatoes are today. Alternatively, mud potatoes were sometimes cooked in the coals of a fire.

Uksak Ulhkomo, "Hickory Nut Oil", is a broth traditionally added to many Choctaw dishes. Hickory nuts have very hard shells. To make Uksak Ulhkomo, hickory nuts can be crushed and placed in a cloth sack that is boiled in stew and then removed, leaving behind the "hickory milk". This technique avoids the work of picking the meat from the shells.

Ahelusa, "Black Potato", is made from the roots of the trailing wildbean (Strophostyles helvola). These are dug up, cleaned, boiled in water, and then mashed.

Nusi Pvlvska "Acorn Bread": Hull live oak acorns and pound them into a flour. Place acorn flour in a cane sieve near a creek. Dip water over the acorns until the bitterness leaves. Mix the acorn flour with water to make a thick paste. Wrap paste around a stick and hold over a fire until done. Similar bread can also be made from beechnuts, hazel nuts, and chinquapins. In times of scarcity, bread was sometimes made from flour created from boiled pine roots.