68 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 190 



(C 125).^ Pounded corn was called ottet (S 71). The number of 

 different ways of preparing corn, over 20 (JR 10: 103),^ attests to its 

 importance. 



The ordinary meal frequently consisted of corn roasted in the 

 embers or ground into meal and mixed with water (JR 15: 161-163; 

 23: 187). Corn might be roasted whole before the fire or the kernels 

 stripped off and roasted like peas in the ashes (S 72) . Roasted young 

 corn was highly esteemed (C 129) . 



Most commonly, the corn was not roasted, but mixed with water 

 and boiled. The boiled corn was sometimes flavored by the addition 

 of ashes, little waterflies, or some rotten, powdered, or boiled fish 

 (JR 15: 163; 17: 17; S 71, 80) or some small things called auhaitsi- 

 que (S 71). Leindohy^ corn that had rotted in mud or stagnant and 

 marshy water for 3 or 4 months, might also be added (S 71-72). 



The ordinary sagamite (S 107) or migan (C 126) [an Algonquian 

 word], called ottet (S 107), was made in the followmg manner: 

 Two or three handfuls of raw pounded (ground) meal which had 

 not had the hull removed was put into an earthen pot full of water. 

 This was boiled very clear and stirred from time to time with the 

 estoqua [paddle] to prevent the meal from sticking to the bottom of 

 the pot or burning. If available, a small quantity of fish, fresh or 

 dried, or meat was added (C 126-127; S 107). If pumpkin was in 

 season, it was sometimes added after having been cut up into small 

 pieces. But often nothing was added (S 107) .^ Two kinds of migan 

 were made. If made of venison, it smelled badly [to Champlain], 

 but if it were made of fish, it did not. If fish had been added, it was 

 taken out and pounded very fine, without removing the bones, scales, 

 or entrails, and put back into the pot (C 127). Meat or fish might 

 be divided and eaten before the soup (S 107) . 



Another method of preparing migan was to cook whole, with fish 

 or meat when they had it, young corn that had been roasted before 

 it was ripe and preserved ( C 127-128) } 



5 These are the well-known Indian methods of preparing corn, the more Important method 

 in eastern North America being that using the ■wooden mortar and pestle. It is that 

 method which is still used among the Iroquois. [The method of grinding corn between two 

 stones was also used until quite recent times (Morgan 1850: 75-78; 1901(2) : 28-30; 

 Parker 1910 b: 46-48, 54; Waugh 1916: 58-60, 185). This change is probably a result 

 of changing dietary habits ; the Iroquois now usually prepare old Indian dishes only for 

 ceremonials. 



' A similar variety of methods of pi'eparing coin is indicated in the various studies of 

 food preparation (Harrington 1908 ; Parker 1910 b ; Waugh 1916). 



■^According to more recent Iroquois recipes for making hominy (sagamitS), the flour 

 is made of flint corn, pounded with ashes to make the pounding easier, sifted and pounded 

 again, and then winnowed by tossing in a bowl or basket. Meat, beans, sunflower oil, 

 pounded and sifted dried pumpkin, or rotten salmon may be added to the soup (Harrington 

 1908 : 586-587 ; Parker 1910 b : 73-74 ; Waugh 1916 : 91-94 ; Shimony 1961 a : 147 n.). 



8 For recent descriptions of early hominy see Harrington 1908 : 589 ; Parker 1910 b : 69 ; 

 Waugh 1916 : 93-94. 



