Youth smash chokecherries at Language & Culture Preservation's chokecherry class on September 15.
By LACEY WHELAN
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Many gathered to learn how to make chokecherry pudding and patty making at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Language and Culture Preservation building Saturday, September 15.
Young and old were in attendance. They were instructed to bring their own materials, but the Language and Culture department provided the chokecherries and also any other tools needed.
The class first started with sharing memories of past loved ones and how they made their chokecherry pudding. Lila Batt recalled a time where she would watch her grandmother make the pudding, and how she thinks its important to teach the young ones, this type of knowledge so they can carry on the tradition. Lila attended the class with her daughter.
Louise Dixey, Language and Culture Preservation director, taught the class as well as Bobette Wildcat Haskett and Carmencita Sonya Wadsworth.
Bobette Haskett shows how to cook chokecherry pudding.
Once the class started, the participants used different ways to prepare the chokecherries, from using a blender or using a meat grinder, to make a liquid type paste out of the chokecherry berries, but all were encouraged to try different methods. A meat grinder is a metal tool used to mostly grind meat or other ingredients needed for cooking. The chokecherries were put in the top opening and then were ground up sliding down through the inside of the grinder and finally pouring into a bowl or plate. The meat grinder is used to grind up different food ingredients.
After the chokecherries were ground up, the class was taught how to make the chokecherry patties, which resembled hamburger patties, and then Louise told about how to store and dry the patties and then how to cook the patties for making the chokecherry pudding. Bobette brought in a sample of her own patties she made a few days ago, to show how important it is to make the patties the right size and thickness.
Brent Sequints Sr., who works for Language and Culture Preservation, displayed a rack he made to use to dry his meat for jerky as well as drying chokecherry patties.
Bobette then showed the class how to make pudding from the fresh ground up chokecherries and how each step is different but sticking to a basic plan from the beginning will make sure the pudding comes out right.
Many of the participants said they never learned how to make chokecherry pudding and were glad to have a class to attend and learn. Many said they used the class as a refresher, because many remembered being taught the basics and were able to use the tips from the class to fill in the blanks.
Louise said many who cook the pudding use different ways from old ways to modern ways, but she said preparing the pudding with the old ways, makes the pudding turn out better and when it comes to taste you can taste the difference in how it was prepared. She also remembered hearing stories about how the old ones used to make the chokecherry patties and traveled with them as they moved their camp to different areas.
Once the students had a basic understanding of how to prepare and cook the chokecherries, many gathered their materials to finish at home. Many asked when the next cooking class was going to be, and if the Language and Culture Preservation department was planning any.