[Sca-cooks] Cattails

[Johnna Holloway]

Hopefully this will come as a quick note-
The book to look at in terms of North America plants is
Native American Ethnobotany By Daniel E. Moerman. "the accumulated  
ethnobotanical knowledge on more than 4000 plants. More than 44,000  
uses for these plants by various tribes are documented here. This is  
undoubtedly the most massive ethnobotanical survey ever undertaken,  
preserving an enormous store of information for the future."

You can look at the book or take a look at the database at http://herb.umd.umich.edu/

Keep clicking on highlighted terms and follow the links.

I'll be back with European information later.

Johnnae


Was written
Despite the fact that some cattails (notably, the Dwarf Cattail) are  
native to Eurasia, I can't find
any record of period usage.  I have read a source that Russians  
consider the
young, peeled shoots a delicacy, and, of course, both the inner flower  
and
the pollen are edible, but I can't find period documentation. snipped
anyone else find this?  You can supposedly mash them, fry them, boil  
them,
bake them, cook and dry them and use them for flour, any number of
usages....including substituting them for potatoes.   Apparently,  
they're
quite tasty, but not completely potato-like.  One author stated he  
preferred
cattails, however.
-- 
Ian of Oertha