COAST YUKI FOODS

THE COAST YUKI AND KASHAYA POMO WERE LOCATED IN MENDOCINO AND ATE ACORNS, SALMON, MUSSELS, AND GRASS SEEDS. SALMON WERE HARPOONED AND SURF FISH WERE CAOGHT WITH A 4 FOOT NET. EELS WERE CAUGHT AT NIGHT; DEER AND ELK WERE HUNTED.

THEY GATHERED SALT AND MUSSELLS AT MUSSELL ROCK. ACORNS WERE STORED ON TOP OF THE HOUSE AND COVERED WITH REDWOOD BARK - WHOLE OR HULLED. ACORNS WERE STORED IN ACORN BASKETS AND WERE COVERED WITH FERNS AND LASHED.

MOLDY ACORNS WERE HULLED AND PUT IN A BASKET, BURIED IN MOIST GROUND FOR 2 - 4 WEEKS UNTIL MOLDY. THEY WERE SOAKED IN RUNNING WATER FOR 2 - 5 DAYS IN A BASKET. THIS REMOVED MOLD AND BITTERNESS. POUNDED OR COOKED WHOLE, THEN BOILED IN A BASKET. THEY CAME OUT WHOLE BUT WERE SOFT LIKE BEANS.

PEPPERWOOD NUTS WERE SOAKED IN HOT ASHES AND WERE CRACKED OPEN WITH A STONE. THE THEY WERE SHAKEN IN A TWIG LIKE BASKET TRAY TO RID THEM OF ASHES.

SEEDS OF WEHILL GRASS WERE COLLECTED WITH A BASKET, SEED BEATER AND BURDEN BASKET. THEY WERE PARCHED WITH COALS IN A PARCHING BASKET SO THE HULLS CAME OFF. WINNOWED AND EATEN DRIED.

YERBA BUENA WAS CHEWED FOR STOMACH TROUBLE - THE LEAVES ARE CHEWED BITTER. BUT AFTER USING MORE THAN ONCE THE TASTE IS OK.

WILD POTATOES WERE COOKED IN COALS WITH ASHES AND LATER REMOVED BY SHAKING BULBS IN AN OPEN WORK WINNOWING BASKET. THIS OVEN WAS ONLY USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

ANIMAL MEAT WAS DRIED OR SMOKED FOR PRESERVATION. MEAT WAS DRIED ON A PLATFORM. FISH WERE BROILED IN COALS. SURF FISH, BULLHEAD, KELP FISH, ROCK COD, MUSSELS, ABALONES, CHITONS. MUSSELS AND OTHER SHELLFISH WERE PLACED ON HOT COALS AND THEN DRIED. NOT MUCH ABALONE WAS TRADED TO INLAND TRIBES. SALMON WERE CAUGHT WITH HARPOONS. TWINED BASKETS CAUGHT TROUT.