06 Wild Rice Harvest

[srhcb]

This year we had record breaking hot and dry weather this spring and summer here in Northern Minnesota. Even the oldest people I found asked couldn'r ever recall anything like it.

We weren't sure what effect this would have on the wild rice crop, especially since the lake levels were so low due to the lack of rain. Just this past week my friend Big Lou was able to check out a few of his regular spots.

He reports more wild rice than he's ever seen, and he's been ricing every year since he first went with his Native American relatives over forty years ago! The rice is just starting to ripen, so barring horrific rain storms or an early frost he should begin harvesting in about a week.

Today wild rice is a luxury product, and many, like Big Lou, rice for traditions sake and a little extra pocket money. But it's interesting to imagine how a bumper crop like this year's would have been appreciated back when the rice comprised a significant part of the tribes' diet or, more recently, provided many families with a major portion of their yearly cash income.

On a more personal level, Lou should have plenty of time for ricing. His wife has kicked him out of the house (again), and he's living in his RV, so he can be literally "on the job site" when he gets up in the morning. This is somewhat reminiscent of the "rice camps" of olden days, when the men would pitch tents on the shores near the rice beds and harvest all day and drink and tell tales all night.

SB

Edited August 25, 2006 by srhcb (log)

[deltadoc]

Today wild rice is a luxury product, and  is somewhat reminiscent of the "rice camps" of olden days, when the men would pitch tents on the shores near the rice beds and harvest all day and drink and tell tales all night.

SB 

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Just as an interesting sidenote, "wild rice" isn't even rice at all!!

It is grass seed!

But that aside, the wild rice of Minnesota is far preferred over that grown in northern california!

doc

[srhcb]

Just as an interesting sidenote, "wild rice" isn't even rice at all!!

It is grass seed!

But that aside, the wild rice of Minnesota is far preferred over that grown in northern california!

doc

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Maybe Minnesota wild rice isn't reallly "rice", but the California product is neither "rice" nor "wild"!

Actually, the biggest difference is in processing. It California product seems to be more for decoration than eating. If the grains are black, they're burnt!

Even most of the rice that's hand harvested here in MN is commercially processed, but some of it is pretty good, ie: not burnt.

Old fashioned, hand parched wild rice is the real thing, but it's generally only available directly from the source.

SB (plys his "source" with free coffee and donuts all year)

[coquus]

So, when you gonna send me a satchel, I can only find the California kind anywhere. Seriously though, I am anxious to get my hands on the real thing direct, any suggestions.

Edited August 25, 2006 by coquus (log)

[srhcb]

DISCLAIMER: This is neither an offer nor a solicitation

I have been known to trade hand parched wild rice for interesting or unusual products from other regions.

[Milagai]

Just as an interesting sidenote, "wild rice" isn't even rice at all!!

It is grass seed!

all rice is grass, even "regular" rice is a type of grass.....

the "regular" rice is oryza, and what people call "wild rice"

is related, zizania. but both are grass.

actually i have heard that botanically, most grain crops of the

world, ranging from rice to barley to wheat to maize, are all grasses.

non-grain food grass crops include sugarcane.

non-grain, non-food grass crops include bamboo...

Milagai

[coquus]

DISCLAIMER: This is neither an offer nor a solicitation

I have been known to trade hand parched wild rice for interesting or unusual products from other regions.

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Now why you gotta go and be all superior, my money ain't good enough. You must have the same irrational dislike of post offices that I have.

[srhcb]

DISCLAIMER: This is neither an offer nor a solicitation

I have been known to trade hand parched wild rice for interesting or unusual products from other regions.

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Now why you gotta go and be all superior, my money ain't good enough. You must have the same irrational dislike of post offices that I have.

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I really don't like to sell wild rice since I get the nicest hand parched rice the Indians reserve for personal use. Whatever I trade for I usually share with Lou.

Some trades I've made in the past include home roasted coffee beans, licorice from Holland, unusual spices from places like South America, Asia and Eastern Europe, a selection of gournet mustards, home made jam and jelly, a vintage cook book, etc.

There are some commercial brands I would endorse, Christmas Point and Ramy being two of them. Notice these are both gray/green in color rather than black. This is what you look for.

You'll see a lot of wild rice on eBay labled as "hand parched", but I doubt if most really is since there are very few people still employing the old labor intensive methods. In any case, it's probably all superior to what you'll usually find in a gourmet shop.

SB

Edited August 25, 2006 by srhcb (log)