What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yampah
Yampah:
Yampah belongs to the carrot family just like Queen Anne's Lace. They have grassy leaves at the base of the plant, with a tall stalk topped with small but beautiful, white flowers that attract all birds and insects alike.. Yampah is the West's own wild carrot. and should be considered a good root crop as well as making use of the leaves and seeds. The Cheyenne, Flathead, Blackfoot, Okanagan-Colville and Yana all considered the roots a staple eaten fresh, baked, boiled, and dried for the future. The Lakota fed the roots to young Buffalo runners to give them stamina when leading buffalo over the cliffs during hunts.
How to grow Yampah
Yampah is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by the common names common yampah and Gardner's yampah. It is native to western North America from southwestern Canada to California to New Mexico, where it grows in many types of habitat. It is a perennial herb which may approach 1.5 meters in maximum height, its slender, erect stem growing from oval shaped tubers measuring up to 8 cm long. General consensus seems to be to wait at least 3 years before harvesting the tubors to eat as they grow slowly. This food root is called cawíitx in Nez Perce, sawítk in Sahaptin and yap in Comanche.
What does Yampah taste like?
The roots, leaves and seeds are all edible. The roots can be eaten raw and have a crisp, juicy texture, like that of a water chestnut. When boiled, steamed, sauteed, or fried, the roots have a sweet & nutty taste like a sweet potato. The roots can also be dried and pounded saved whole for later rehydration
Yampah roots are a good source of Potassium and Vitamin C, and are high in protein which is great if you are looking for non meat alternatives. The cooked root and seed can be used to relieve gas and the uncooked roots are a mild laxative, and consuming larger quantities can be used medicinally to get rif of blockages. What a great plant!
Different ways Yampah is eaten
Yampahs seedds are also very useful
Before there were russets, Yukon golds and French fries, there was yampah!
Before there were russets, Yukon golds and French fries, there was yampah!
The seeds are useful too. Having a flavor variously described as tasting like carrot, caraway, anise or parsley, they were used as a seasoning for porridges and pinoles.
Before there were russets, Yukon golds and French fries, there was yampah!
Before there were russets, Yukon golds and French fries, there was yampah!
Before there were russets, Yukon golds and French fries, there was yampah!
Potato peelers had not been invented yet, so the skins were removed from the tubers either by placing them in water and tramping on them with bare feet, or by agitating them in special baskets with rough interiors. Then they were roasted, baked or steamed and eaten like potatoes, or even raw. They are reported to be crunchy and mildly sweet, like water chestnuts. Sometimes the roots were dried and then ground into flour for baking, or mixed with grains as an ingredient in cereals or cakes. The tubers are rich in carbohydrates that are rapidly assimilated by the body and were used by hunters and runners as a high energy food to enhance physical endurance.