Tooker] 



ETHNOGRAPHY OF THE HURON 69 



Nelntalioiiy was made in the following manner: The women 

 roasted a number of ears of green corn, either by propping them up 

 before the hre, leaning them against a stick resting on two stones and 

 turning them mitil they were roasted, or by putting them into a heap 

 of well-heated sand. After the roasting, the grains were stripped off 

 and spread out on a bark to dry further. When sufficiently dry, the 

 corn was mixed with a third to a quarter as much beans {ogaressa) 

 and stored in a cask. When they wished to eat it, it was boiled whole, 

 with a little meat or fish, if they had any ( S 106) .^ 



To make eschionque (S 106) [cornmeal], a quantity of dried corn 

 was roasted in the ashes and sand of a fire, as for peas, and pounded 

 very fine. Then, with a little fan of tree bark, the fine flour was 

 taken away and this was called eschionque (S 106; C 128) and stored 

 for use on journeys (C 128).^'' The cornmeal might be eaten dry, 

 cooked in a pot, or steeped in warm or cold water (S 106-107). If 

 cooked, some fish or meat was first cut up and boiled in a large kettle 

 with some pumpkin, if they liked (C 128; S 107). The fat from the 

 meat and fish was skimmed from the surface with a spoon (C 128). 

 Then enough meal was added to make the soup sufficiently thick and 

 the soup stirred constantly with a spatula [estoqua (S 107)] to pre- 

 vent it from sticking together in lumps. When served, it was put into 

 bowls with a spoonful of the fat, or a little oil or melted fat, if they 

 had any, on top (C 128; S 107). This was often done for feasts, but 

 not ordinarily (C129)." 



The hull of this flour, called acointa, that is, "peas" (cf. S 102), 

 was boiled separately in water with fish, if there was any, and eaten. 

 Corn that had not been pounded was similarly prepared, but it was 

 very hard to cook (S 107) . 



To make leindohy^ or stinking corn (S 107), the women put a large 

 number of ears of corn, not dry and ripe, into the mud of a pool of 

 stagnant water for 2 or 3 months. Then it was taken out and cooked 

 like neintahouy ^ boiled with meat or fish, for important feasts. It 

 might also be roasted under hot ashes. Com prepared in this fashion 

 was considered good ; the Indians sucked it and licked their fingers as 



® For similar Iroquois recipes see Harrington 1908 : 589-590 ; Parker 1910 b : 77 ; Waugh 

 1916 : 96-97. 



i» The Iroquois similarly made a parched corn traveling food by shelling the corn, parch- 

 ing it, and pounding it to a fine meal with a little maple sugar (sugar was not added 

 if intended for hunters or athletes). Sometimes dried fruit was pounded with it (Jackson 

 1830 b: 18; Harrington 1908: 587; Morgan 1850: 77; 1901(2): 31; Parker 1910 b: 

 75-77 ; Waugh 1916 : 88-89. 149). 



'^ The Iroquois also make a mush of parched and pounded corn which is served with 

 melted fat ladled on top. While cooking, the mush is stirred constantly with a wooden 

 spatula by the Iroquois as the French said the Huron did. This dish is 'now made 

 in connection with the False Face rites (Harrington 1908: 587; Parker 1910 b: 79; 

 Shimony 1961 a : 145 u. ; V>^augh 191fi : 103). The stirrer is described in Harrington 1908 : 

 580; Morgan 1852: 78-79; 1901(2): 44-45; Parker 1910 b: 52-53; Waugh 1916: 70. 



