Native American food plants
Subtitle: an ethnobotanical dictionary
By: Daniel E. Moerman
Publisher: Timber Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Portland
Language: eng
Number of pages: 455
ISBN-13: 9781604691894
Subjects: Food; Dictionaries; Ethnobotany; Edible Plants; Indians of North America
Description: "Based on 25 years of research that combed every historical and anthropological record of Native American ways, this unprecedented culinary dictionary documents the food uses of 1500 plants by 220 Native American tribes from early times to the present. Like anthropologist Daniel E. Moerman's previous volume, Native American Medicinal Plants, this extensive compilation draws on the same research as his monumental Native American Ethnobotany, this time culling 32 categories of food uses from an extraordinary range of species. Hundreds of plants, both native and introduced, are described. The usage categories include beverages, breads, fruits, spices, desserts, snacks, dried foods, and condiments, as well as curdling agents, dietary aids, preservatives, and even foods specifically for emergencies. Each example of tribal use includes a brief description of how the food was prepared. In addition, multiple indexes are arranged by tribe, type of food, and common names to make it easy to pursue specific research. An essential reference for anthropologists, ethnobotanists, and food scientists, this will also make fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of wild and cultivated local foods and the remarkable practical botanical knowledge of Native American forbears."--Pub. desc.
Notes: "This abridged work is based on the author's Native American ethnobotany published by Timber Press, Inc. in 1998."

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Table of contents: title: Plant use by Native Americans; title: Organization of the information in Native American food plants; title: Catalog of plants.