Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1914-03-11
Corn Meal, the American Indians
Gift to Civilization.

Gift to Civilization.
Originally Indian Corn" was
tropical or subtropical plant, but the
Indians, who made it one of their
staple foods, succeeded finally in pro-
ducing varieties which would ripen as
far north as Canada. Since the dis
covery of America, this staple food of
these aborigines has been generally
raised all over the world. It now
ranks with wheat, rye, barley, oats and
rice as one of the most important food
grains, and may be called the Ameri-
can Indians greatest gift to modern
civilization.
Indian corn, therefore, has special
historical interest for Americans from
the fact that it is generally recognized
as being native to American soil. Its
cultivation and use even in the early
colonial days was very widely dis
tributed. The desire to produce it was
probably the incentive which most fire.
quently LED the Indians to abandon
nomadic life and to form settlements.
Because of the quickness and ease
with which it can be raised, it was I'M
doubtedly the means of saving from
starvation many of the pioneers who
came from other lands. So important
was this food in the days when the
country was being settled that both
natives and colonists in their troubles
with one another found it was a
greater blow to destroy corn crops of
adversaries than to make war upon
them. 49,
In farmers bulletin mo. $3.50 en-
titled Corn Meal AS Food and Ways
of Using It." several dozen recipes are
given that may call to mind old favor
ties and suggest 10 the housewife un-
tried dishes both appetizing and nu.
tritious. Some OF these recipes date
back to the aborigines of the SOIL One
of them is as follows:
Zuni Indian Bread.
One cup white corn meal, cup vel
low corn meal, 1 cup water, tea
spoon salt, Is teaspoon cayenne, 1 cup
chopped suet
Mix all we'll together; form into
rolls about 5 inches long; roll in
creased paper and bake in a moderate
oven one hour; serve hot.
The habit among the Indians was to
roll these cakes in the husks of corn,
a method which is sometimes followed
by campers
There are other simple breads which
were first made by the Indians and are
very old types, closely resembling the
breads of other primitive people,
Though easy to prepare, they are new
ertheless very palatable. Two of these
are ash Cake" and Hoe Cake"
Ash Cake.
One quart corn meal, 2 teaspoons
salt, 1 tablespoon lard or other short
ening, boiling water. --.
Scald the meal; add the salt and
shortening, and when the mixture is
cool form it into oblong cakes, adding
more water if necessary. Wrap the
cakes in cabbage leaves, or place one
cabbage leaf under the cakes and one
over them, and cover them with hot
ashes.
Hoe Cake.
Hoe cakes are made out of corn
meal, water and salt They were or
iginally baked before an open fire on
a board which for convenience had a
long handle attached to it. At present
they are cooked slowly and on both
sides on a we'll creased griddle.
Certain dishes made of Indian corn
have become identified with certain
localities and thus we have particular
recipes bearing the names of these To-
calitieS. For instance, South Carolina