Native American Foods: Technology and Food Sources: Uses of Ash

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Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

Published 2004

About

Ash, the residue of burned wood and vegetation, had many uses. In addition to its function in ash baking, perhaps most important was the production of hominy. The alkali composition of ash acted on corn to “lime” or soften it. Hard flint corn did not release its hulls easily but when boiled or soaked with ash (or ash water, better known as lye), the hulls slipped off easily. The lye was then removed by several washings, and the hominy corn was ready for cooking, pounding, or grinding.

The kind of wood ash chosen varied from tribe to tribe, according to local flora. The Navajo liked juniper, and the Creek and Seminole used hickory. The Hopi preferred ash made from green plants, because they were more alkaline, saltbush (Atriplex canescens), and chamisa or rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus), which had a high mineral content. The Pawnee, Omaha, Ponca, and Winnebago used basswood (genus Tilia) ash in the same way, but with the purpose of leaching out the bitterness of certain acorns.

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