I went wild ricing a couple years ago with a group organized by 13 Moons and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Not over-harvesting and leaving some for the next person was part of the learning.
That must have been a wonderful adventure. Thanks for reading and connecting it with your personal experience. The lessons apply to much more than wild rice!
So much history through yr story here thanks. I liked you showing the real vs paddy grown rice next to each other. Great visuals. It’s high protein too right? I can see why lake rice is so expensive now. Thank you Jill!
High in protein and low in fat! Yes, every grain is precious and the process of harvesting and parching is labor intensive. That this annual plant has survived more than 2K years despite its loss of habitat and ongoing threats from oil pipelines and degradation of water quality is truly miraculous.
Growing up, wild rice was not a family tradition, although lefse was! It became essential to us when we discovered the real rice on a visit Up North. There is no substitute. I think paddy-grown California rice is a cultural and culinary abomination.
I don’t know if you’ve read Louise Erdrich’s book The Sentence, but there is a marvelous passage in which a group of Native people stand around in a kitchen insulting each other over their choice of rice varieties, how it’s cooked, and so on. It’s very much the “my mom’s recipe is the best” argument. And the worst accusation is that someone cooks paddy-grown. There may even be dark insinuations regarding cream of mushroom soup. Don’t have the book with me right now, but it was a joy to read. As is this article.
I love that scene in THE SENTENCE by Louise Erdrich! Yes, I know it well and it made me laugh. Glad you discovered the "good berries" on a visit and there is no comparison between cultivated and wild in taste; agreed. (And lovely to find another lefse lover.)
I had only seen commercially parched wild rice until 2014 when I started visiting Warroad in late September that I found hand-harvested hand-parched wild rice for sale at roadside locations north of Grand Rapids or on Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Red Lake or White Earth Reservations in Minnesota.
Wild rice is a part of my culinary history, but also just a cultural touchstone. Since I no longer live in MN, I make it a point to pick up a fresh supply of locally-harvested rice whenever I'm back. It has a soul and memory that commercialized 'wild rice' will never have, in large part due to the things you wrote about in this part. Thanks.
Wow, one of the lakes on the upper chain in Waupaca is called "Manomin." Now I know what that name ACTUALLY means. Such glorious photos here and a rich history. Thank you, Jill!
Would love to know how many years it has been since there was wild rice on the upper chain of Waupaca. Manomin IS a variation of the spelling of the Ojibway word. Mahnomen is another. There used to be vast beds of wild rice in Green Bay, which I had never known before.
Thanks, Jenna. Did you know there is more wild rice grown in California today than in Minnesota? University of Minnesota researchers figured out how to cultivate wild rice in paddies instead of moving bodies of water and this is where most of the commercial production of wild rice occurs today. Have you ever seen wild rice growing in California?
Hi Jill! No, I don't think I've ever seen - consciously at least - seen wild rice growing in California. Now that I know what it looks like - the stalks are larger than I imagined - I'll watch for it. I love the taste and texture of wild rice, so it's good to know much of it is grown in my home state!
It is best to buy from a Native harvester. Both Red Lake and White Earth reservations have commercial wild rice available; both cultivated and hard-harvested. You may find Native harvesters selling on Etsy. Cultivated wild rice is available in most grocery stores.
I went wild ricing a couple years ago with a group organized by 13 Moons and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Not over-harvesting and leaving some for the next person was part of the learning.
That must have been a wonderful adventure. Thanks for reading and connecting it with your personal experience. The lessons apply to much more than wild rice!
Learned that it takes a really long time to gather enough for even serving
So much history through yr story here thanks. I liked you showing the real vs paddy grown rice next to each other. Great visuals. It’s high protein too right? I can see why lake rice is so expensive now. Thank you Jill!
High in protein and low in fat! Yes, every grain is precious and the process of harvesting and parching is labor intensive. That this annual plant has survived more than 2K years despite its loss of habitat and ongoing threats from oil pipelines and degradation of water quality is truly miraculous.
So true Jill thank you!!
Thanks for reading and appreciating the significance of this rare and sacred plant.
Growing up, wild rice was not a family tradition, although lefse was! It became essential to us when we discovered the real rice on a visit Up North. There is no substitute. I think paddy-grown California rice is a cultural and culinary abomination.
I don’t know if you’ve read Louise Erdrich’s book The Sentence, but there is a marvelous passage in which a group of Native people stand around in a kitchen insulting each other over their choice of rice varieties, how it’s cooked, and so on. It’s very much the “my mom’s recipe is the best” argument. And the worst accusation is that someone cooks paddy-grown. There may even be dark insinuations regarding cream of mushroom soup. Don’t have the book with me right now, but it was a joy to read. As is this article.
I love that scene in THE SENTENCE by Louise Erdrich! Yes, I know it well and it made me laugh. Glad you discovered the "good berries" on a visit and there is no comparison between cultivated and wild in taste; agreed. (And lovely to find another lefse lover.)
Interesting! I had no idea the rice can be pink, cream, tan, or pale green. I've only seen it in its commercially parched state.
I had only seen commercially parched wild rice until 2014 when I started visiting Warroad in late September that I found hand-harvested hand-parched wild rice for sale at roadside locations north of Grand Rapids or on Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, Red Lake or White Earth Reservations in Minnesota.
Wild rice is a part of my culinary history, but also just a cultural touchstone. Since I no longer live in MN, I make it a point to pick up a fresh supply of locally-harvested rice whenever I'm back. It has a soul and memory that commercialized 'wild rice' will never have, in large part due to the things you wrote about in this part. Thanks.
Enlightening. I have never seen “wild” wild rice and would love to taste it.
I'd love for you to taste it, too. I wonder if Fresh and Wild in Toronto carries any. Certainly there is a market for Canadian wild rice.
I will keep an eye out. I shop in many specialty stores.
Wow, one of the lakes on the upper chain in Waupaca is called "Manomin." Now I know what that name ACTUALLY means. Such glorious photos here and a rich history. Thank you, Jill!
Would love to know how many years it has been since there was wild rice on the upper chain of Waupaca. Manomin IS a variation of the spelling of the Ojibway word. Mahnomen is another. There used to be vast beds of wild rice in Green Bay, which I had never known before.
Wild rice is a diagnostic food plant for the part of Minnesota that's located in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest ecologic region: https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/regional-perspectives
Thanks for this ethnobotanical story of wild rice traditions in the area of Minnesota where you grew up, Jill. I feel enriched by it.
Thanks, Jenna. Did you know there is more wild rice grown in California today than in Minnesota? University of Minnesota researchers figured out how to cultivate wild rice in paddies instead of moving bodies of water and this is where most of the commercial production of wild rice occurs today. Have you ever seen wild rice growing in California?
Hi Jill! No, I don't think I've ever seen - consciously at least - seen wild rice growing in California. Now that I know what it looks like - the stalks are larger than I imagined - I'll watch for it. I love the taste and texture of wild rice, so it's good to know much of it is grown in my home state!
Is it possible today to purchase the wild rice you describe in this fascinating story?
It is best to buy from a Native harvester. Both Red Lake and White Earth reservations have commercial wild rice available; both cultivated and hard-harvested. You may find Native harvesters selling on Etsy. Cultivated wild rice is available in most grocery stores.
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Lake-Nation-Minnesota-Cultivated/dp/B00Y0USRA6/ref=asc_df_B00Y0USRA6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416728157253&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12902808647021988255&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019787&hvtargid=pla-924593664167&psc=1&mcid=40df8fdb8578317b828228dc02ed2d1d&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=93863646397&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416728157253&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12902808647021988255&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9019787&hvtargid=pla-924593664167&gclid=CjwKCAiA8sauBhB3EiwAruTRJnpWXdNBzQMzP-xvk6ewz-BI2Ht1-oUZJ-NmfgGGhj4RyG2LgmvgKxoCSqUQAvD_BwE
Thanks Naomi!
Thank you, Naomi.