MIWOK AND POMO BUCKEYE LEACHING

THE COAST MIWOK ATE BUCKEYES WHEN THE ACORNS WERE FEW.E COLLECTED WHEN THEY HADFALLEN ON THE GROUND.AND THEY WERE STORED UNTIL NEXT AUTUMN. THEY HAD TO BE ROASTED FIRST IN ASHES OR BOILED. THEN THEY BROKE THEIR HUSK WITH THEIR TEETH. THEY MASHED THEM BY HAND IN A BASKET OF WATER. THE MIXTURE WAS POURED THROUGH A STRAINED BASKET TO REMOVE THE COURSER MATERIAL. THIS BUCKEYE MIXTURE WAS SET IN WATER IN ORDER TO BE EATEN IN 18 HOURS. THEY THEN ATE THE MEAL WITH WATER.

ANOTHER METHOD OF PREPARING BUCKEYES WAS TO REMOVE THE OUTER COATING AND THE BROWNISH INNER SKIN WERE REMOVED. THE WHITE MEAT OF THE NUTS WERE BOILED IN A BASKET WITH ROCKS. THEY BECAME MEALY AND WERE GROUND INTO FLOUR. THEY FORMED THIS INTO BALLS AND IT WAS PLACED IN A CREEK IN A TULE BASKET AND THE WATER LEACHED OUT THE TANNIC ACID.

OR THE BUCKEYE MEAL COULD BE FORMED INTO A BREAD THAT WAS BAKED IN UNDERGROUND OVENS LINED WITH HOT ROCKS AND. THE BUCKEYE WAS SURROUNDED WITH A LAYER OF GRASS OR SOAPROOT LEAVES, AND IT WAS BAKED FOR 5 HOURS.

THE POMO SOAKED VALLEY OAK ACORNS IN RUNNING WATER AND THEY WERE FOUND TO BE SOFT AND SWEET, WITHOUT FURTHER PROCESSING (?). A DELICACY WAS MADE CALLED MUSH ACORN BY SOAKING THE ACORNS IN WHOLE RUNNING WATER FOR TWO WEEKS, AFTER WHICH THE BREAD WAS BAKED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. IT WAS SAID TO BE AS SWEET AS CANDY.


PAUL CAMPBELL