Wiiwish, also known as
acorn
The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally
two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...
mush, was one of the main
food staples of
California Native Americans in the United States.
Acorn
The acorn, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'' and '' Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally
two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne ...
s were gathered in the fall before the rain came. To harvest the acorns, Californian Native Americans would crack open the shell and pull out the inner part of the acorn. This part of the acorn was then smashed with a
mortar and pestle until it was a flour-like consistency. This flour-like substance was then leached several times with water until the acorn mush was no longer bitter (this also indicated that the mush was safe for consumption). This mush was then cooked in a waterproof basket with hot rocks and then served. California Indians continue to eat wiiwish both the traditional way and with alterations. These alterations include using other tools to grind down the acorns such as a
coffee grinder or/and adding sugar or other seasonings to the finished wiiwish.
Shawii is the name of the mush of acorn that was eaten daily by
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai or by their historical Spanish name Diegueño, is a tribe of Indigenous peoples of the Americas who live at the northern border of Baja California in Mexico and the southern border of California in the Unit ...
'' ''.
References
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* {{cite book , last1=Timbrook , first1=Janice , title=Chumash ethnobotany : plant knowledge among the Chumash people of southern California , year=2007 , publisher=Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and Heyday Books , location=Santa Barbara, California and Berkeley, California , isbn=978-1-59714-048-5 , pages=156–160
Native American cuisine