South Sea Islander and Pacific Northwest Earth Ovens.

[Colin Bruce]

Thank you.  Your description sounds delicious.  I wish this was a foodies list so people could post
some pit oven recipes.  I would be facinated to find out what herbs and seasonings can be used from
the NWCCoast along with anyones other favorite cooking styles like hot rocks in boxes or baskets.
My favorite umu food is Tongan luu which is corned beef with taro leaves wrapped in bundles and then
cooked in the pit oven (umu).  I wonder if wapatoo leaves would taste very much the same.  (I think
their edible).

I found a cool New Zealand site showing a stainless steel pit oven machine.  I've included the link
merely as a visual:  http://www.multikaicooker.co.nz/Magic.shtml.  (I should say that I have never
tried the stainless steel version but like the idea of eliminating all possibility of grit in my
beautiful umu kai)  I can't wait to come back home and give a real NWCoast style pit oven a try
(grit and all).  It'd be great to try camas too but how to be sure it's not death camas?

c

PS Can't wait to see a copy of the dictionary either.


hzenk at PDX.EDU wrote...

While there may be variations in the Northwest/Plateau earth-oven, the way I've
always heard the camas oven described:  dig a pit; build a fire nearby; heat
rocks in the fire till glowing, then (using stick tongs) lay the hot rocks in
the bottom of the pit; lay leaves over the rocks, then a layer of camas roots,
then another layer of leaves, then dirt over the top.  The camas needs two or
three days to get properly cooked (unproperly cooked camas tastes very starchy;
properly cooked is sweet to the taste).  I am told that women at Warm Springs
have their own recipes regarding which leaves to put in:  apparently the leaves
impart flavor.  Some accounts also mention building a fire on top of the pit
while the camas is cooking (maybe it gets done faster that way).