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How to Cook dishes from Native American tradition
The indigenous people of the Americans have developed a variety of recipes, and exploited
many sources of food which were later adopted when Europeans and other arrived in the New World
(these foods can be food for example in
American cuisine,
Canadian cuisine,
Mexican cuisine,
Argentine cuisine,
Brazlian cuisine,
Peruvian cuisine).
Of course, it would be wrong to consider native American cuisine as completely homogenous.
Different culinary traditions and recipes developed in each part of the Americas, in part
driven by different cultures, lifestyles, and of course the availability of different foods.
As a result, there is a great variety
of dishes that have been created by native American people.
Some popular native American recipes and dishes include:
- Akutaq - This is an Eskimo dish, made from caribou or moose fat with berries, fish,
and seal oil. It is whipped together with snow, and is sometimes known as "Eskimo Ice Cream".
- Bannock (also known as "fry bread") - Deep-fried flat dough.
It is leavened with baking powder or yeast, and after cooking may be topped
with beans, ground beef or cheese.
- Corn bread - Bread made from cornmeal (maize).
- Guacamole - A dip created by the indigenous people
of Mesoamerica, and subsquently adopted into Mexican cuisine.
It is made from mashed
avocado with tomatos and salt. Onions, lime juice and spices are often added as well.

- Guinea pig - Guinea pigs have been domesticated and eaten by the Inca people of
South America for atleast 4,000 years.
There are many ways that guinea pigs may be cooked and prepared, including
broiled (asado),
fried (chactado or frito),
roasted (al horno),
as a soup (sopa or locro de cuy),
as well as in casseroles.
- Jerk - This style of cooking originated with the Taíno people of
Jamaica. Meat is rubbed with a mix of fiery spices, and then
slowly cooked over a smokey fire (hence the origin of the word "jerky").
Jerk is also the origin of the Jamaican cuisine's
jerk recipes - which are prepared using a similar marinade, but are generally cooked
on a charcoal grill.
- Llapingacho - This dish from the Ecuadorian highlands consists of mashed potato with cheese.
It is usually served with fried eggs and sausage.
- Pachamanca - Meat (chicken, guinea pig, lamb, mutton or pork)
marinated in spices, with vegetables (cassava, corn, lima beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.)
baked with hot stones in an earthen oven (huatia). The dish originates from the
Peruvian Andes, and is considered one of
Peruvian cuisine's most famous dishes.
- Pemmican - Dried berries, dried meat, and rendered fat, mashed together.
- Pozole - A traditional soup from
Mexico.
It contains hominy (treated cornmeal), meat (usually pork), chili, beans
and various seasonings. Other vegetables may be used for garnish, and there
are many variations on the basic recipe.
- Succotash - Corn, tomatoes and lima beans cooked in butter.

- Tamales - Steamed corn dough. It may be filled with meat or cheese,
and sliced chillis. It is usually cooked while wrapped in a corn husk
or plantain leaves.
- Tortillas - Thin unleavened bread made from maize or wheat flour.
Tortillas were originally created by the indigenous people of Mesoamerica, and are
today is a well-known food in Mexican cuisine.

- Tacos - A stuffed tortilla filled with cheese, meat or vegetables.
Like tortillas, tacos were first created by the indigenous people of Mesoamerica,
and have subsequently been adopted into
Mexican cuisine.
On this page, you will find a selection of Native American cookbooks.
Related pages on this web site:
| Native American Cookbooks |
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By Martin Jacobs
Stewart Tabori & Chang Hardcover (256 pages)
 | List Price: $40.00* Lowest New Price: $21.36* Lowest Used Price: $6.47* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: A carefully researched book, Spirit of the Harvest presents 150 authentic recipes from the Chippewa, Sioux, Comanche, Hopi, and other North American tribes. Navajo Peach Crisp, Ember Roasted Buffalo, and Iroquois Leaf Bread are among the unusual recipes offered. A portion of future royalties will be donated to the Museum of the American Indian. 50 full-color photographs. Full-color map. |
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By E. Barrie Kavasch
Dover Publications Paperback (272 pages)
 | List Price: $12.95* Lowest New Price: $8.13* Lowest Used Price: $8.14* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | - ISBN13: 9780486440637
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description:
Practical primer on natural foods not only provides recipes for varied Native American dishes but also describes uses of ceremonial, medicinal, and sacred plants. From clambakes to wild strawberry bread, the volume is simultaneously a field guide, cookbook, and useful manual on herbal remedies. 139 black-and-white illustrations; 8 in color.
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By Lois Ellen Frank
Ten Speed Press Released: 2002-08-06 Hardcover (208 pages)
 | List Price: $35.00* Lowest New Price: $20.90* Lowest Used Price: $6.99* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: In this gloriously photographed book, renowned photographer and Native American–food expert Lois Ellen Frank, herself part Kiowa, presents more than 80 recipes that are rich in natural flavors and perfectly in tune with today’s healthy eating habits. Frank spent four years visiting reservations in the Southwest, documenting time-honored techniques and recipes. With the help of culinary advisor and Navajo Nation tribesman Walter Whitewater, a chef in Santa Fe, Frank has adapted the traditional recipes to modern palates and kitchens. Inside you’ll find such dishes as Stuffed Tempura Chiles with Fiery Bean Sauce, Zuni Sunflower Cakes, and Prickly Pear Ice. With its wealth of information, this book makes it easy to prepare and celebrate authentic Native American cooking. |
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By Marian Betancourt & Michael O'Dowd
Three Forks Hardcover (144 pages)
 | List Price: $24.95* Lowest New Price: $13.40* Lowest Used Price: $9.88* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | - ISBN13: 9780762748952
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description:
Bringing ancient cuisine into the modern spotlight with classical culinary techniques. One of only six U.S. restaurants to have achieved the AAA’s Five Diamond status—and the only Native American restaurant to have likewise earned a Mobil Five Star rating—Kai Restaurant at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort, near Phoenix, is redefining Native American cuisine. With classical European culinary techniques and pairing with the finest wines, the Kai chefs bring an ancient cuisine into the modern spotlight. The New Native American Cuisine is the first book to make this cuisine available to home cooks everywhere. Beautifully illustrated with rich full-color photographs of the resort and its restaurant and dishes, it presents more than fifty recipes for cocktails; small plates and main courses; soups and salads, fish, meat, game, vegetables, and desserts—from grilled elk chop with truffles and sweet corn panacotta with venison carpaccio, to buffalo tartare with prairie quail egg. |
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By Nancy Gerlach
University of New Mexico Press Paperback (128 pages)
 | List Price: $15.95* Lowest New Price: $12.28* Lowest Used Price: $8.75* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: Pompano tamales. Shrimp enchiladas. Candied sweet papaya. These are some of the foods whose recipes reside in the pages of Nancy and Jeffrey Gerlach’s Foods of the Maya. The authors have spent years traveling throughout Mexico, familiarizing themselves with the cultures and cuisines of the people they have encountered. They created this cookbook to bring the flavors of the Yucatán to tables north of the border. In an easy-to-follow format, Foods of the Maya provides handy background and travel information about the region and some of its ruins before dipping into the ninety-one recipes included here, organized according to meal course. There are recipes that will suit most everyone’s palate, from sauces and salsas to soups and sausages; from vegetarian and meat appetizers and main dishes to simple drinks and desserts. Each section begins with a brief description of the course and the types of food involved. The recipes are clear and easy to understand—one need not be a trained chef with a vast kitchen to create a tasty Yucatecan meal. Foods of the Maya incorporates an array of cooking tips and techniques and a brief glossary of terms to help in food preparation—the authors have ensured that ingredients for their recipes are readily available at local food stores. This edition also includes an introduction by historian Jeffrey Pilcher which helps familiarize readers with the history and cultures of the Yucatán peninsula. So the next time you get a hankering for something different, you might consider cooking up a platter of Yucatán ribs or preparing a bowl of chayote pudding. Take a short trip to the Yucatán—without leaving your kitchen. |
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By Tis Mal Crow
Native Voices Publ. Paperback (144 pages)
 | List Price: $12.95* Lowest New Price: $6.50* Lowest Used Price: $6.50* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: This book is a must for beginners and serious students of herbs and of Native American ways. This set of herbal teachings, which draws strongly from the Muscogee tradition, presents an understanding of the healing nature of plants for the first time in book form. In a time of expanding awareness of the potential of herbs, this work shines and beckons. Tis Mal examines common wild plants and in a clear and authoritative style explains how to identify, honor, select, and prepare them for use. Illustrated and indexed by plant name and medical topic. |
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By Michael A. Weiner
Ballantine Books Released: 1990-12-12 Paperback (230 pages)
 | List Price: $15.00* Lowest New Price: $44.00* Lowest Used Price: $12.90* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: Long before there was pharmacology as we know it, the North American Indians cured illness and maintained health by natural means, using healing plants of the forest, desert and seashore. Renowned nutritionist Michael Weiner has created an authoritative A-to-Z reference guide to the plant remedies and wild foods used by the Indians. |
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By Smithsonian American Indian & Marlene Divina
Ten Speed Press Released: 2010-06-08 Paperback (240 pages)
 | List Price: $28.00* Lowest New Price: $18.48* Not yet published* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: For many American Indians, food is more than sustenance--it is also of vital cultural significance. Salmon, buffalo, berries, acorns, quinoa, wild rice, tomatoes, chocolate, and especially corn--where these indigenous staples flourish, they have become a central part of Native American ceremonies and creation stories. This illuminating book, produced in association with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, celebrates the amazing diversity of the original foods of North, Central, and South America. Winner of a 2005 James Beard Award, Foods of the Americas highlights indigenous ingredients, traditional recipes, and contemporary recipes with ancient roots. Written by chef Fernando Divina and his wife, Marlene Divina (who is of Chippewa, Cree, and Assiniboine heritage), Foods of the Americas includes 140 modern recipes representing tribes and communities from all regions of the Americas. Some of the specialties are: Fry Bread Turkey with Oaxacan Black Mole Wild Rice and Corn Fritters Venison with Juniper and Wild Huckleberry Sauce Chilean-Style Avocado and Shrimp Salad To complement the recipes, Foods of the Americas also features nine illustrated short essays by American Indian writers who offer personal insights into a variety of indigenous food traditions. With enticing food photography and images from the museum’s collection, Foods of the Americas is not only an innovative tribute to the foods of the Western Hemisphere but also a gorgeous testament to the Native contribution to American cuisine. |
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By Alma Hogan Snell
Bison Books Paperback (200 pages)
 | List Price: $17.95* Lowest New Price: $11.96* Lowest Used Price: $8.85* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | - ISBN13: 9780803293533
- Notes:
Product Description:
Drawing on the knowledge and wisdom of countless generations of Crow Indian women, the well-known speaker and teacher Alma Hogan Snell presents an indispensable guide to the traditional lore, culinary uses, and healing properties of native foods. A Taste of Heritage imparts the lore of ages along with the traditional Crow philosophy of healing and detailed practical advice for finding and harvesting plants: from the key to creating irresistible dishes of cattails and dandelions, salsify and Juneberries, antelope meat and buffalo hooves, to the secret of using plants to enhance beauty and incite love. Snell describes the age-old practice of turning wildflowers and garden plants into balms and remedies for such ailments and injuries as snakebite, headache, leg cramps, swollen joints, asthma, and sores. She brings to bear not only her lifetime of experience but also the invaluable lessons of her grandmother, the legendary medicine woman Pretty Shield. With life-enhancing recipes for everything from soups, teas, and breads to poultices, aphrodisiacs, and fertility aids, A Taste of Heritage is above all a fascinating cultural document certain to enrich the reader’s relationship with the natural world. A partial list of recipes: Wild Bitterroot Sauce Wild Carrot Pudding Cattail Biscuits Dandelion Soup Salsify Oyster Stew Balapia (Berry Pudding) Juneberry Pie Chokecherry Cake Wild Mint Tea Bitterberry Lemonade Wheel Bread Boiled Hooves Bill’s Mother’s Antelope Roast Stuffed Trout Elk Roast Stuffed Eggs Old-Time Moose Roast Wild Turnip Porridge Wild Turnip Bread Fresh Wild Salad Buffalo Cattail Stew Ground Tomato Salad Gooseberry Pudding Bearberry Butter Spicy Dried Plum Cake Buffaloberry Jelly (20070518) |
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By Margaret Denise Dubin
Heyday Books Paperback (144 pages)
 | List Price: $21.95* Lowest New Price: $6.70* Lowest Used Price: $6.10* Usually ships in 24 hours* *(As of 23:08 Pacific 21 Mar 2010 More Info)
Click Here | Product Description: The foods of Native California Books such as Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider give invaluable insight into how Native American people created food from what flourished around them: food that is simple, abundant and, most of all, flavorful food that is both life-giving and a way of life. Richard Hetzler, Executive Chef, Mitsitam Cafe, National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution Starting with fish and then moving on through shellfish, meat, vegetables, flowers, berries, nuts, and acorns, Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider is a tour of the most authentically local food there is: Native American cuisine, in this case from the bountiful shores and slopes of California. Filled with photographs, essays, reminiscences, and recipes, this book offers an overview of the foods of Native California along with delicious details about the dishes and their preparation: seafood stew cooked on the beach, agave hearts roasted underground, cakes made from the tiny seeds of the prolific red maids flower. Many of the recipes in Seaweed, Salmon, and Manzanita Cider appear in print for the first time here, offering glimpses of the past as well as straightforward information on the preparation of simple and sumptuous foods. Dubin and Tolley write in their introduction that the recipes in this book are transcriptions from tribal and personal memory and, as such, fragments of living culture. Part culinary study, part history and cultural chronicle, this book is a fascinating presentation of a venerable American food cuisine. |
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