Camas bulbs were important enough to the Bannock Indians that they went to war over them in 1878. Have you ever wondered how they were used?
Well, they ate them, of course. But the indigenous people who depended on the root did not simply dig them up and start chewing. Camas bulbs are reportedly nasty if eaten raw. They have a soapy taste and get gummy when you chew them, making the whole mess stick to your teeth.
So, cooking, then. The women of the tribe would dig them up in the spring and, after removing the papery sheath from the bulbs, cook them in earthen ovens. These ovens were pits lined with rocks. The women put alternating layers of grass and camas bulbs into the pits and covered them with soil. Once the layering was completed, they would build a fire on top of the pit. The rocks would retain the heat and cook the one- to two-inch bulbs. It took several days.
Once cooked camas bulbs are sweet. Some have described their taste as something like a baked pear or a water chestnut.
Since we’re talking about eating camas bulbs, we should note that you don’t want to sample Death Camas. You’re not likely to confuse the plants in the field, at least when they are in bloom. Death Camas, which blooms later in June, has white flowers that are more tightly arranged the brilliant blue flowers of the edible variety. No part of the Death Camas is edible.
Maybe you should just enjoy the blossoms.
Well, they ate them, of course. But the indigenous people who depended on the root did not simply dig them up and start chewing. Camas bulbs are reportedly nasty if eaten raw. They have a soapy taste and get gummy when you chew them, making the whole mess stick to your teeth.
So, cooking, then. The women of the tribe would dig them up in the spring and, after removing the papery sheath from the bulbs, cook them in earthen ovens. These ovens were pits lined with rocks. The women put alternating layers of grass and camas bulbs into the pits and covered them with soil. Once the layering was completed, they would build a fire on top of the pit. The rocks would retain the heat and cook the one- to two-inch bulbs. It took several days.
Once cooked camas bulbs are sweet. Some have described their taste as something like a baked pear or a water chestnut.
Since we’re talking about eating camas bulbs, we should note that you don’t want to sample Death Camas. You’re not likely to confuse the plants in the field, at least when they are in bloom. Death Camas, which blooms later in June, has white flowers that are more tightly arranged the brilliant blue flowers of the edible variety. No part of the Death Camas is edible.
Maybe you should just enjoy the blossoms.
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