C. T. Suddeth

IF YOU DARE!

Neanderthal Menu

I consulted archeological and historical periodicals to assemble these recipes and show what life 50,000 years ago might have been like. Yes, in real life they probably didn’t eat on our schedule, but they got hungry just like we do. Warning, I am not a cook. For safety’s sake (and your taste buds’ sake) consult a food expert before attempting these recipes.

Neanderthal Breakfast—Neanderthal Porridge

Ingredients:

Handful of wild barley

Handful of emmer wheat (AKA farrow), a wild wheat

Handful of einkorn wheat, another wild wheat

Handful of sorghum seed

Handful of pistachios or chestnuts

Yarrow leaves for seasoning

Handful of dates (Neanderthals in colder climes might have used cherries)

Directions:

Heat water in a birch bark tray, being careful to keep it out of direct flames to avoid a fire.

Mash wild barley, emmer wheat, einkorn wheat, and sorghum seed; add to the boiling water

Hull and crumble nuts, then add to boiling mixture

Pit dates or cherries and add to the boiling mixture to sweeten

Boil until the porridge is soft

Lunch—Neanderthal Cattail soup

Ingredients:

Half dozen of cattail flowers, pollen, & roots

Handful of chicory leaves & roots

Handful of dandelion leaves

Wild lentils with husks

Parsnips

Chamomile leaves for seasoning

Directions:

Heat water in a birch bark tray, being careful to keep it out of direct flames to avoid afire.

Add wild lentils with husks to water, allow husks to dissolve and release the lentils

Peel & pound cattail roots, remove the fibers

Peel & chop parsnips and add to water

Add chicory roots & cattail roots to boiling water

Add chicory leaves & dandelion leaves to boiling water

Finally add cattail flowers & pollen to boiling water

If meat is necessary (Neanderthals ate what they had), add small animals or birds

Neanderthal Dinner—Water-lily stew

Ingredients:

2 or 3 medium-sized Water lily pads

A handful of white acorns (hulls have round ends) or walnuts

One squirrel or other small animal such as rabbit or rats

Handful of wild onions

Wild parsnips

Wild olives

Directions:

Drop hot rocks into a bison-skin bag filled with water and boil lily pads until tender.

Peel & chop parsnips and pitted olives, add to mixture

Skin squirrel and broil it. Add meat, innards, and bones to the lily pads.

Add wild onions, olives, and acorns to the mixture, and serve while warm.

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