Seneca- Iroquois Indian Cooking
The simple culinary art required a kettle for meats and vegetables, (me or more wooden platters, and three or four hunting-knives to a household. Wild game was often spitted on a stick before the fire, and the loaf of pounded corn and beans was roasted in the ashes under the embers. The Indian woman's cookery offered few temptations to the white man's palate. Her loaf was kneaded with unwashed hands, in a bark tray none too tidy, and her meats were prepared without attention to the care which civilization demands. The Indian trail over Groveland hill ran near the foot of a long meadow of John Harrison's, where a fine spring of water often beguiled the natives to stop and cook their game. On one occasion they made a feast there of corn and venison boiled together. The deer were skinned, cut up and cast into the brass kettle, flesh, bones, entrails and all. Mr. Harrison, who was at work nearby, was urged by the Indians to partake of their pottage, but as he had seen it prepared, his appetite rebelled, and lie declined, with thanks. A pioneer, on another occasion, was invited to eat hominy with a strolling band of Senecas, who had already been some time at their meal. There was but one spoon to the party, and that had been used by each in turn. The chief took the spoon and, after wiping it upon the sole of his moccasin, passed it to the guest, who, though welcome, feasted with long teeth.
The simple culinary art required a kettle for meats and vegetables, (me or more wooden platters, and three or four hunting-knives to a household. Wild game was often spitted on a stick before the fire, and the loaf of pounded corn and beans was roasted in the ashes under the embers. The Indian woman's cookery offered few temptations to the white man's palate. Her loaf was kneaded with unwashed hands, in a bark tray none too tidy, and her meats were prepared without attention to the care which civilization demands. The Indian trail over Groveland hill ran near the foot of a long meadow of John Harrison's, where a fine spring of water often beguiled the natives to stop and cook their game. On one occasion they made a feast there of corn and venison boiled together. The deer were skinned, cut up and cast into the brass kettle, flesh, bones, entrails and all. Mr. Harrison, who was at work nearby, was urged by the Indians to partake of their pottage, but as he had seen it prepared, his appetite rebelled, and lie declined, with thanks. A pioneer, on another occasion, was invited to eat hominy with a strolling band of Senecas, who had already been some time at their meal. There was but one spoon to the party, and that had been used by each in turn. The chief took the spoon and, after wiping it upon the sole of his moccasin, passed it to the guest, who, though welcome, feasted with long teeth.
