Oscar’s Gift Reading Guide: Day 16
Wojapi
“‘You will like wojapi, cousin Tomas,’ Chumani added. ‘It is thick and sweet’.” ~ Oscar’s Gift
Header photo used under Creative Commons from Indirect Heat.
Chokecherries, so named because of the bitter compound in the leaves and seeds that can lead to cyanide poisoning, grow wild on much of the Great Plains and were used extensively by the Lakota for everything from food and tea to tipis and art materials (“Biology and Culture of the Chokecherry“). Learn everything you ever wanted to know (and more) about chokecherries from this US Department of Agricultural plant guide.
Wojapi, a thickened pudding traditionally made with chokecherries, is a common dish throughout North American Indian tribes and can be served with savory or sweet foods. The American Indian Health and Diet Project offers an easy recipe for wojapi that calls for 4-5 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, and/or strawberries), water, honey, and cornstarch, or you can try this recipe that uses sugar and includes a recipe for frybread to dip into your freshly made wojapi.
Enjoy!
Click HERE for the full Oscar’s Gift Reading Guide.
Oscar’s Gift: Planting Words with Oscar Micheaux is available from Amazon as a paperback and ebook.
