CALIFORNIA NUTS EATEN

THE NUTS ARE RICH IN PROTEIN (30%), 10% CARBOHYDRATE, AND 50% FAT. HAZELNUTS ARE EATEN BY THE KAROK, YUKI, AND POMO ATE THESE IN SEASON AND STORED THEM IN BASKETS. GATHERED IN FALL AND WERE NOT GROUND.

CHINQUAPIN WAS CRACKED WITH THE TEETH AND EATEN WHEN FOUND, OR STORED. EATEN WITHOUT GRINDING. KASHAYA POMO ATE THEM RAW OR ROASTED SOMETIMES POUNDED INTO A MEAL OR STORED DURING WINTER.

PEPPERWOOD NUTS RIPENED IN NOVEMBER FOR THE POMO AND MIWOK. AND THEY COLLECTED THEM AS THEY SHOOK THE TREE. THE NUTS WERE DRIED IN THE SUN, THEN CRACKED. THE INNER NUTS WERE EATEN RAW AS THEY DID NOT STORE WELL. THE MIWOK ROASTED THEM IN ASHES BEFORE EATING THEM. OR THEY COULD STORE THE NUTS WITH SHELLS ON THE MEATSCOULD BE GROUNDINTO AN OILY MEAL, THEN MADE INTO FLAT CAKES. THEN DRIED IN THE SUN. THEY TASTED LIKE PEANUTS. THEY RIPENED IN NOVEMBER. THE POMO AND THE MIWOK COLLECTED THEM AS THEY RIPENED AND SHOOK THE TREE. THE NUTS DRIED IN THE SUN, THEN CRACKED THE HUSK. THE INNER NUTS WERE EATEN RAW BUT DID NOT STORE WELL. THE MIWOK ROASTED THEM IN ASHES BEFORE EATING THEM. OR THEY COULD STORE THE NUTS WITH SHELLS ON THEM. THE MEATS WERE GROUND INTO AN OILY MEAL, THEN MADE INTO FLAT CAKES. THEN DRIED IN THE SUN. TASTED LIKE PEANUTS AND EATEN WITH A GREEN OR ACORN MUSH OR A SEAWEED. THEY WERE EATEN ON LONG DISTANCE HIKES.

GREY PINE NUTS WERE GATHERED EARLY IN THE SPRING OR LATE IN THE FALL. THEY CLIMBED THE TREE TO TWIST OFF THE PINE CONES AND THEN BEAT THE NUTS OUT. THE NUTS WERE ROASTED AND BECAME SWEET. IN THE FALL THE NUTS WERE ROASTED AND BECAME SWEET. IN THE FALL THE NUTS WERE ROASTED. THE MAIDU COLLECTED 10 - 12 CONES AND SET THEM ABLAZE TO CRACK THE CONES OPEN. STONES WERE USED TO CRUSH THE STONES COMPLETELY OPEN. NUTS WERE BOILED THE KAROK PICKED THEM UP FROM THE GROUND AND ABRADED THE THE ENDS TO GET TO THE NUTS.

THE POMO GATHERED SUGAR PINE NUTS. THE MAIDU TRADED THEIR GREY PINE NUTS FOR SUGAR PINE. MEN CLIMBED THE TREES FOR SUGAR PINE CONE AND TWISTED OFF OR KNOCKED DOWN THE CONES. THE WOMEN GATHERED THEM INTO PILES AND SET THEM ON FIRE. AFTER THE CONES COOLED THEY STRUCK IT WITH A HEAVY STONE, SPLITTING THE CONES OPEN AND FREEING THE NUTS. PINE NUTS WERE CARRIED TO THE VILLAGE WITH A BURDEN BASKET YOKUTS PARCHED THEM AND THEY COULD BE POUNDED WITH A MORTAR AND ROLLED INTO BALLS. THE MIWOK GATHERED CONES AND MANY NORTH COAST RANGE INDIANS CLIMBED TREES TO GATHER NUTS BEFORE THEY FELL AND WERE EATEN BY SQUIRRELS. THEY WERE QUITE LARGE. SOMETIMES THE CONE WAS PLACED UPSIDE DOWN AND BANGED WITH A ROCK TO GET THE NUTS OUT. THE MIWOK WHO ATE THIS NUT HAD A SHAMAN TO PRESS AND BLOW UPON THEM. THEY WINNOWED NUTS IN A BASKET BY THE WIND. THEY PULVERIZED IT IN A MANNER THAT TURNED IT INTO A TYPE OF PEANUT BUTTER.

THE KAWAIISU ATE SUGAR PINE NUTS AND COLLECTED THE SUGAR SAP, DRY AND POWDERY AFTER IT HAD DRAINED FROM A HOLE IN THE TREE.

PONDEROSA PINE NUTS WERE INFREQUENTLY EATEN BY THE MIWOK. CONES DRIED IN THE SUN FOR NUTS IN OCTOBER AND WERE EATEN RAW.

PINON NUTS TREES WERE SCOUTED FOR BY MEN AND THE VILLAGERS FOLLOWED. THEY COLLECTED THEM IN AUGUST IN LOWER ELEVATIONS AND IN OCTOBER IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THEY WERE LEFT TO DRY IN A LARGE CONICAL BURDEN BASKET. THE KAWAIISU BELIEVED THE DARK SKINNED PERSON SHOULD SET THE FIRE. OLD PEOPLE TENDED THE FIRE AND ADDED FIRE. COVERED WITH DIRT SO STEAM SOFTENED THE CONES. THEY WERE WINNOWED FROM THE DIRT. THE SOUTHERNINDIANS GROUND NUTS WITH A BLACK SLAT AND GRINDING STONE. THE BASKET TRAY WINNOWED THE SHELLS FROM THE MEAT. WATER WAS ADDED TO MAKE A THIN MUSH. NUTS COULD BE BOILED LIKE BEANS.

IN FALL THE COCOPAH FAMILIES TRAVELLED FOR A WEEK TO REACH PINON NUT FORESTS ALONG COLE RIVER AND JOINED THE DIEGUENOS. THE MEN AND BOYS CARRIED WATER THERE AND HUNTED FOR THE VILLAGE. THEY WERE GROUND IN A MORTAR. THE DIEGUENO FOLKS STORE THESE NUTS IN A POT AND THE SHELLS ARE POPPED OPEN WHEN READY TO EAT.

PAUL CAMPBELL