Succotash

[Black Hand]

Be aware that corn is a generic term for grains of all types.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=corn

 

[tenngun]

The fact that it referred to soaking in lye would make me think it maze corn and not another type of grain. I don't know when 'corn' began to be used instead of 'Indian corn'. I have never gathered wild rice, or seen it growing, I don't know if it has to be soaked or not before cooking. When I have bought it it was already hulled.
I don't know how old our term corn boiler is but I spect any small pot would be used for some sort of mush or porigge as much as 'corn' :idunno:

 

[tenngun]

Posted twice

 

[crockett]

I think the "corn boiler" is a modern "rondy" thing. On the "corn" Thompson spoke of, they were using the same food as the local tribes so I am certain what he was speaking of was maize. On the wild rice, I believe it is a different grain than true rice and it was likely hulled. I think the local tribes beat the grains and then winnowed it in the air to blow the chaff away (just my understanding- could be wrong).
Why bother with corn(maize)? Thompson said the crew found it more filling. They didn't seem to do as well if they ate only the wild rice. They probably had no set up to mill or grind the maize into corn meal so they had to settle on soaking it prior to cooking.
It seems if they had to boil the hominy 3-4 hours they could have added beans but on this particular trip, "on the trail" so to speak- no mention of maize and beans cooked together- it seems to be something done more in a permanent village/camp.

 

[Nativearizonan]

Well, if they had ground the hominy to make it cook faster, they would have been eating grits, and we all know how they hate grits up north. :wink:

 

[tenngun]

When I first saw 'corn boiler' it was a tin cup with a souldered on hinged lid. Now you see the term applied to one qt pots. Our term for sure is new. Thompson offers a copper porridge pot. I don't know if the name goes back that far. Small pots were common.
Corn was used for grain in general and corn was called Indian corn mostly. I would think corn in the above ment Indian corn :idunno: grind hominy is grits today but may not have had that name then. :idunno:

 

[Tallswife]

Wild rice is actually a grass that grows in water. It's grown mainly in Minnesota and Canada, along with China.

wild rice

Wild rice information

 

[Black Hand]

Wild rice is delicious when parched. It also cooks much faster when added to stew, whereas without parching, it takes about 2 hours (or more) to become tender.

 

[Gene L]

Wild rice is a grass. I saw on Bizarre Foods where it was gathered, put in a washpot, and I think heated up and then hulled by a woman treading on it with her feet.

I don't care for wild rice, but see its value as a paleo-food.

I don't like Brunswick stew at all. I do like modern succotash with all the veggies in it. Used to eat it in school a lot. Love lima beans!

Around here, they've got a completely area specific called "Mull." Made of boiled chicken shredded, the broth, milk, and cracker crumbs to thicken it. It's excellent! Only get it here in Oconee County, GA, and Athens-Clarke. You can make it with rabbit, too.