contact an actual tribal or native supplier of wild rice. Most tribes who live in rice areas do have a tribal
rice enterprise, and for many large families who go ricing every year, it's a cash crop, as well as a
personal food supply and a pleasant excursion. Many tribes now process commercial rice in
mechanical plants, though. It isn't paddy rice, but there's not that much difference. And sometimes it is
paddy rice, too. Hybrids seeded in artificial or real lakes, by tribal contractors. This is economically
helpful, but I still don't like it.If you have a chance to try different varieties of truly wild rice from many different lakes, you will see
that it can have quite different flavors. People still trade their local wild rice for another tribe's from
elsewhere. Unfortunately, elders from Northern Minnesota ricing areas report that nearby
off-reservation commercial paddies are experimenting with different laboratory-breeds of zinzania
aquatica which are cross-breeding with the natural tribal wild rice, and the natural types are being
replaced by undesired new hybrids on many lakes. Nobody likes this, but there doesn't seem to be
anything we can do to stop it. Tame, paddy rice is big business for large food corporations, today, so
the Jolly Green Giant is taking over from the Manidos who gave the rice to the people.--Frybread--Tasty Symbol of all-Indian unity--Native cookbooks --Nutrition info, cookbooks for kids--Wild rice recipes --Maple sugar/syrup recipes--Corn, hominy, cornmeal -- Beans and Greens--Squash, pumpkin --Deermeat, Meat--Fish, birds --Fruit and Berries--Herbal Teas, Culinary
Herbs--Xocoatl (Chocolate), Aztecs
(and south) YUM!Copyright 1995, Paula Giese
Last Updated: 6/6/97Native Foods -- Recipes--Wild Rice
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