CALIFORNIA PREHISTORIC INDIAN FOODS

IN THE SPRING MEN SWAM TO COLLECT TULE AND CATTAIL SHOOTS WHEN YOUNG. THEY SOMETIMES WRAPPED 10' LONG ROOTS AND ATE SOME FRESH WHEN AT THE LAKE SHORE AFTER PEELING THEM. THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA ALL ATE THESE ROOTS. THEY DRIED ROOTS AND GROUND THEM ADDING WATER TO MAKE A MUSH. THE CAHUILLA IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GROUND TULE ROOTS INTO FLOUR AND ATE THE SEEDS RAW, OR MADE THEM INTO MUSH. THEY MADE CAKES OF TULE POLLEN A TEDIOUS PROCESS. THIS SWEETENED OTHER FOODS. CURLY DOCK STEM WAS CHEWED CHEWED AS CANDY.

THE KAROK ATE YOUNG UMBRELLA SEDGE SHOOTS RAW. NATIVE PEAS WERE EATEN GREEN IN SPRING. SANICLE YOUNG GREENS WERE EATEN WHEN YOUNG. THE ROOT WAS USED MEDICINALLY FOR TREATING NERVOUS DISORDERS AND DIAHRREA.

THE FRESH SHOOTS OF NARROW LEAF MULES EARS WERE EATEN RAW.

THE YUKI ATE THE ROOTS OF SHOOTING STAR AFTER ROASTING THEM AND PUT THE LEAVES IN ASHES TO EAT.

THE LOMATIUM ROOTS AND LEAVES WERE EATEN RAW AND PROVIDED A HIGH AMOUNT OF VITAMIN C! IT WAS USED BY PIONEERS IN ARIZONA TO HELP HEAL THEM OF A PANDEMIC FLU IN THE
30'S.

THE LEAVES AND STEMS OF SORREL, A SPINACH LIKE GREEN, WERE SOUR BUT CHEWED.

MINER'S LETTUCE STEMS AND LEAVES AND BLOSSOMS WERE EATEN FRESH BUT WERE BEST STEAMED.

ANGELICA WAS A COMMON MEDICINAL ROOT FOR CURING BLOOD DISEASES AND SNAKEBITE. THEY ATE THE YOUNG SHOOTS AS GREENS.

WILD CARROT LEAVES, A TYPE OF LOMATIUM, WAS EATEN WHEN YOUNG. WILD ONION WAS EATEN RAW AND THE BULBS AND TOPS WERE EATEN LIKE A SALAD. SEEDS WERE ALSO EATEN LIKE A SALAD. THE SEEDS WERE ALSO EATEN.

TICKSEED COREOPSIS WAS CUT AT THE BASE BEFORE BLOOMING IN SPRING. THE LEAVES WERE RUBBED AND BRUISED BETWEEN THE HANDS AND EATEN WITH SALT.

THE INDIANS BROKE THE STEM OF MILKWEED AND ATE IT FRESH AND COLLECTED THE MILK. IT WAS HEATED AND USED AS A CHEWING GUM. PEOPLE USED IT AT WORLD RENEWAL CEREMONIES.

CALIFORNIA POPPY LEAVES WERE BOILED AS GREENS AND THREW AWAY THE WATER.

ERIOGONUM WAS EATEN RAW AND THEY DRIED THEY DRIED THE FLOWERS AND ATE THEM RAW.

HEUCHERA LEAVES WERE EATEN BY BOILING THEM OR STEAMING THEM IN AN EARTHERN OVEN.
LUPINE WAS STRIPPED OF FLOWERS AND LEAVES AND STEAMED IN THE SPRING IN AN EARTH OVEN.

MUSK MONKEY FLOWER AS A YOUNG PLANT WAS BOILED AND EATENBY THE MIWOK. MARIPOSA OR DESERT LILY BULBS WERE GATHERED IN MAY TO AUGUST AND THEY ATE THEM RAW OR BAKED THEM FOR 12 TO 24 HOURS IN A STONE LINED PIT. THE BULBS COULD BE EATEN RAW OR COOKED ON ASHES AND COVERED. IN SPRING THESE BULBS TASTED BEST.

BRACKEN FERN LEAVES AND TENDER STEMS WERE EATEN BY THE ATSUGEWI. KASKAYA POMO USED THE JUICE OF FRONDS AS A DEORDORANT.

ATSUGEWI GATHERED AND COOKED MOSS FROM STREAMS.

THE YUMAN'S ATE BLACK WILLOW AND THE BARK WAS CHEWED RAW OR COOKED IN ASHES. LEAVES OR TWIGS HAVE AN ASPIRIN LIKE QUALITY AND WERE USED AS TEA.

CURLY DOCK HAS YOUNG GREENS WHICH WERE PICKED INTHE SPRING AND EATEN AS LETTUCE BY THE POMO. THEY COLLECTED THE SEEDS IN THE FALL FOR OTHER FOOD USES. THE MOHAVE BOILED LEAVES AND ATE THEM AS GREENS.