Wild Rice

The Ojibwe people call wild rice “mahnomen,” the good berry. Wild Rice elaborates on the many elements of that tradition, and brings it forward in fresh, delectable recipes. This comprehensive guide to Zizania palustris tells the story of North America’s only native grain, from its emergence in the western Great Lakes area to its use in today’s kitchens. The book demystifies the purchasing of wild rice—black or brown, long grain or short grain, lake rice or river rice, US rice or Canadian rice—clarifies cooking options, and proposes wild rice as a fast food (cook a full pound and freeze in small packets).

The recipes range from simple soups to gourmet entrées and food for a crowd. Traditionally, wild rice was harvested from canoes and parched in iron kettles over open fires. Although these old ways are still practiced, much of today’s wild rice is cultivated in flooded fields—rice paddies—in the Upper Midwest and in California, and is harvested with combines and processed with machinery. The question arises: Which is better-tasting and more nutritious—naturally occurring wild rice or cultivated wild rice?