Traditional Foods of Puget Sound, Lake Simcoe Areas:

 As most of you already know, my experience and interest is primarily in or from the Arctic and Western Canada; however, historically, the families of both maternal grandparents were among the very earliest pioneers of this area.

Nuts

Hazelnuts

Acorns

Berries

*Blackcap Raspberry

*Cranberry

Elderberry

Huckleberry

Salal

*Salmonberry

*Saskatoon (Service Berry)- introduced by horticulturists , originally not common  in the area.

Soapberry

*Thimbleberry

Wild Blackberry- Native to Western Canada, introduced by horticulturists , did not originally grow in the area.

Wild Strawberry

Fruits

Bitter cherry

Chokecherry

Crabapple

Current

Gooseberry

Indian Plum

Wild Rose-while very important to geed health and nutrition- rose hips were NOT recognized as a food item by most of the indigenous tribes

Edible Greens

*Cat- tail

Cow Parsnip (Indian Parsley)

*Fiddlehead Ferns

*Fireweed Shoots

*Horsetail Fertile Shoots

*Nettles

*Sprouts (salmonberry or thimbleberry shoots)

*Spruce shoots

*Wild lettuces - spring beauty, violet,

watercress

Roots/Bulbs

Camas

Biscuit Root (wild carrot- Lomatium)

*Bracken Fern Root

Lily Roots (several possible varieties)

*Pacific Cinquefoil

Springbank Clover

Wapato (Indian Swamp Potato)

Wild Onion

Other

Bedstraw (Cleavers)

Maple sugar (possible)

Mustard

Seaweed

*Kelp (with herring row)

Non-native Nutritious Wild Foods

Chickweed

*Dandelion Greens

Lamb’s Quarters

Common Seafood

Clams (many types)

Geoduck

Muscles

Gooseneck barnacles

Oysters

Shrimp

Crab

Seal

Octopus

Fish

Salmon

Smelt (eulachon)

Halibut

Ling cod

Sturgeon

Trout

Wild Game

Duck

Grouse

Deer

Elk-meaning the wapiti which is not an elk; but is an animal found only in North America.

Moose-Meaning an actual elk and the national animal of Norway.

Bear

*Indicates species that were not found in archaeological digs. Some, like chickweed, dandelion and thistle are introduced species; while others like cattails, and the gift of the conifers, were not recognized as possible food, medicinal, or nutritional, items by natives who were truly indigenous to the area –they learned how these items could be used as food or to prevent scurvy or rickets from Europeans.