Traditional Foods Guide
By SEARHC Health Promotion, the Kake and Wrangell Traditional Foods advisory teams and SE AK volunteers
The Traditional Foods Guide is made possible through the SEARHC Health Promotion Department, the Kake and Wrangell Traditional Foods advisory teams, and several volunteers in Southeast Alaska. The guide is divided into Spring, Summer & Fall harvest.
The Traditional Foods Guide exists to promote awareness of the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of harvesting and eating traditional foods. We encourage you to use local resources whenever possible. Decreased blood sugar and lower risk of type 2 diabetes are some of the benefits of eating traditional foods. Traditional practices include giving thanks for the natural gifts that are available to us, attempting to use all of the food (do not waste), and remembering to leave enough for the plant to re-flourish. Harvest only what you will use.
One example: Indian Rice comes from the Chocolate Lily (Kóox) plant root.
- Dig around the base of the plant and gently pull up the bulb.
- Break apart the bulbs to get the kernels of rice. Make sure to leave a few kernels in the ground so the plant can flourish again.
- The rice can be used in soups, stews, or mixed with wild greens and used as a side dish. The bulbs can also be dried and ground to be used as a flour extender.
Please visit our Traditional Foods Guide here: http://ow.ly/V9J850JEbSn
