CHASQUEM - Corn
What is "Indian Corn"? It is ANY and every type of corn! The Lenape were
peaceful farmers who grew a wide variety of crops. While some crops were
eaten fresh, a large part of the crops had to be dried to preserve them
for winter use. Over 12 kinds of corn were grown, including popcorn,
corn-on-the-cob, corn for chowder, grits, hominy and corn pudding. Corn
comes in a variety of colors -white, yellow, blue, reddish, multicolored
and flesh colors.
Special "hard" corn was dried and pounded into corn meal for corn bread
AHPONE, now called corn pone; hominy, grits, and soups; and pounded into
flour for bread and travel food, called JOURNEY CAKES. In those days
CAKE meant BREAD.
SAMP is a coarse HOMINY. NASAUMP means corn mush. SUPPAWN is now called
"hasty pudding". SAMP was enjoyed alone or in a one pot meal of
pre-soaked corn (SAMP), vegetables and meat - like a crock pot meal of
today. SUCCOTASH is still enjoyed too.
CORN HUSKS were saved and used to make mats, baskets, moccasin liners (used as socks) and dolls. Dolls were dressed in leather scraps for clothing.
PAKIHM - CRANBERRIES
The Cranberry is a native North American fruit. Long before the settlers
came, the Native people from Nova Scotia to North Carolina enjoyed fresh
and dried cranberries.
PAKIHM is the Lenape word for cranberry. The famous chief PAKIMINTZEN
used the cranberry as a symbol of peace. Pakimintzen means cranberry
eater. PERKIOMEN Creek comes from the Lenape word Pakihomomink - "where
there are cranberries growing".
The cranberries were enjoyed fresh or dried in soups, such as
"succotash" of cranberries, corn and beans. They were also used in
"pemmican" where the cranberries were crushed, dried and combined with
dried venison (deer meat) and fat drippings. This mixture was then
molded into small "cakes" (loaves of bread). This would keep for a long
time and was good on a long trip.
Corn Recipes
Carla's Corn Fritters
2 Cup raw corn
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 tsp salt (or less)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 TB melted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Mix dry ingredients, add wet, fry it up! Server with drizzles
maple syrup, honey or powdered sugar!
I did not list the famous Dried Corn Pudding here!