EP 67 Much Ado about Sioux: (Re)discovering America’s indigenous foods with Chef Sean Sherman

It seems that the faster and more urban our lives grow, the more we seek ways and means to “return” to our roots - including the foods we eat. Realizing that he knew very little about the foodways of the Oglala Sioux community where he was raised, Chef Sean Sherman began the task of researching and sharing the ways and means of food indigenous to North America. In this episode, Kim and Leigh reflect on how his 2018 award-winning cookbook The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen directs our focus to the foods and foodways that have been long overlooked. Time spent with the Huichol people near Jalisco, Mexico inspired Chef Sean to examine his own Native heritage and curiosity about the foodways of his familial heritage of the Oglala Lakota of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. After nearly two decades in the food industry, Chef Sean felt he knew more about the popular cuisines of Europe, but none of what and how indigenous people ate before European culture spanned the continent. His research, and subsequent cookbook, mark a turning point - even a starting point - in a long overdue conversation about the actual indigenous foodstuffs of North America - the flora and fauna that sustained people before the introduction and dietary inculcation of wheat, sugar, and beef. Sources We Found Helpful for this Episode About The Sioux Chef Full Moon Ceremony & Teachings | Ontario Native Women’s Association Books We Think You’ll Enjoy Reading The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian by Freddie Bitsoie and James O. Fraioli tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine by Shane M. Chartrand Recovering Our Ancestors' Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness (At Table) by Devon Abbott Mihesuah Recipes You Really Need to Try Corn Husk Bread from The Sioux Chef Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes from The New York Times Owamni Sweet Potatoes with Maple-Chile Crisp from Food & Wine Transcript 🎧 Click here for the full, interactive transcript of this episode 🎧 We would love to connect with you AsWeEat.com, on Instagram @asweeat, join our new As We Eat community on Facebook, or subscribe to the As We Eat Journal. Do you have a great idea 💡 for a show topic, a recipe 🥘 that you want to share, or just say “hi”👋🏻? Send us an email at connect@asweeat.com Review As We Eat on Podchaser or Apple Podcast. We would like to know what you think. As a member of affiliate programs, we earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This helps us to continue to bring you stories, history, and personal musings about food, cuisines, traditions, and recipes Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/as-we-eat8938/donations