WILD EARTHY VERSATILE
Flavorful natural rice a ‘gift from earth’
Wild rice is often referred to by Native Americans as “a gift from the earth.”
This prehistoric pantry staple is older than our country. The historical ties of wild rice to Native American cultures are strong. It was the Great Lakes and its tributary rivers that drew various tribes to Wisconsin and Minnesota through a prophecy that encouraged them to “go where the food grows in the water.”
It’s a grass seed
Wild rice is harvested from a long grain marsh grass and referred to as an aquatic cereal grain. Cereal grains are members of the grass family and harvested for their seeds. Wild rice is the only cereal grain native to North America. The reedlike wild rice plants are found in isolated lakes and river beds where they grow in low, swamp-like areas.
The traditional method of harvesting wild rice has not changed much through the centuries. Canoes, maneuvered by two individuals, travel through the marsh. While one harvester steers the canoe like a gondola, the other uses poles, known as knockers, to gently brush the grass and dislodge the mature wild rice kernels into the canoe. Some seeds fall into the muddy water’s bottom to germinate the marsh area for the next year’s harvest.
Both Minnesota and Wisconsin allow individuals other than Native Americans to harvest wild rice, but there are age limitations and you must be a state resident. You also must have a license, which can be obtained through the states’ departments of natural resources. There are also designated harvesting times; these change annually based on weather and designated harvesting waters.
Just-harvested wild rice has a high water content. Traditionally the rice is dried out on birch bark or blankets and allowed to sun dry. Another drying method is to place the rice on drying racks made of green branches and parch them over an open fire. This method not only dries the rice, but also adds an additional layer of earthy smoked flavor to the finished kernels.
Most wild rice available today is not wild at all, but grown in man-made paddies that are then machine-harvested. Marketed as cultivated wild rice, the kernels are darker, almost black in color, and tend to be a bit chewier than wild rice grown naturally.
Cultivated wild rice also lacks some of the traditional
rice’s earthy flavor. However, it is less costly and more widely available.
In addition to a flavor difference, the cooking times of the rice varies. Cultivated rice will take between 50 to 60 minutes of simmering to cook, while traditional hand-harvested wild rice takes only 25 to 30 minutes.
A breakfast tradition
The nutty flavor and chewy texture of wild rice lends itself to a delicious breakfast dish known as Mahnomin porridge. The name is derived from the
Native American word “manoomin,” which translates as good berry or harvesting berry.
The dish is made with wild rice simmered in cream and maple syrup. Mahnomin porridge often is embellished with chopped dried or fresh fruit and nuts. Heart-healthy chopped walnuts and dried Montmorency cherries and apricots blend well with this delicious breakfast dish.
Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, located in Minneapolis, serves up their rendition of Mahnomin porridge on its daily breakfast menu. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is so fond of the wild rice porridge that he offers a free sampling at his weekly “breakfast at the office” event.
The breakfasts take place every Wednesday morning that the Senate is in session at his offices in the Hart Senate Office Building. But before you get your taste buds psyched for a bowl of creamy wild rice porridge during your next visit to Washington, D.C., you should know that these gatherings are open only to Minnesota residents.
Soup to crackers
Wild rice is a common addition to soups. The chewy rice holds up well to some heat and adds a distinctive flavor. A sweet potato corn soup with wild rice requires less than an hour to complete from start to finish.
Pureeing half of the soup in a food processor or blender creates a creamy texture without a hint of cream. The cooked wild rice is added after the soup is pureed. For a restaurant-quality finish, ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with an herb-flavored extra-virgin olive oil.
For a more unusual use of wild rice, try your hand at making homemade crackers. Using a food processor makes the dough preparation easy. Cooked and cooled wild rice is pulsed to small pieces. Flour, salt and sesame seeds are added, with a touch of sesame oil drizzled in for flavor.
After a short 15-minute rest, the dough is rolled between sheets of parchment to create a paper-thin dough that is then cut into triangles. If you are lucky enough to have a pasta-maker, the dough can be processed through the flat roller attachment, making the cracker rolling process even easier.
Store the crackers in resealable bags at room temperature and serve with your favorite selection of cheeses. The crackers will keep up to a week at room temperature.
A vegetarian entrée
Wild rice mixes well with other grains. For a main course, combine cooked wild rice with a cooked grain such as barley, wheat berry, farro or kamut. Create a stuffing by adding sauteed vegetables, steamed cubed sweet potatoes, dried fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup and some fresh herbs.
For a photo-perfect presentation, stuff acorn squash halves with the mixture, creating a healthy and filling vegetarian entrée.