| | BITTER ROOT, Lewisia redivivaPursh, Warm Springs, "Pe ah ke," pronounced pa-a-ke |
Bitter root, also known on the reservation as macaroni root, is the most popular root. It is considered very valuable as trading or "swapping" material. The plant grows in dry, rocky places and has a beautiful pink blossom but is dug before the blossomopens. The leaves are green and succulent at the top of a carrot shaped root that is covered with a thin, brown skin which is easily removed in boiling water. The roots are always peeled since it is this outer coating that contains most of the bitterness. Bitter root may be used fresh, or preserved as a frozen or dried product. it is usually preserved by drying on screen trays in the sun for four warm days. The trays are taken inside at night. Dried roots are then stored in plastic containers with tight lids to avoid weevil infestation. Bitter root may be cooked in water like potatoes, then seasoned with butter and salt, or most frequently it is prepared in combination with salmon-fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. At the annual Root Feast, fresh bitter root seasoned with salmon is a very important dish. Fresh bitter root is a good source of vitamin C, one cup providing about two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for this nutrient. The frozen product retains this value for awhile, but after a few months of storage the vitamin C content has decreased drastically and approximates that of the dried product, (about tone-third the amount that was originally present). However, the amount of vitamin C retained is still enough to make a significant contribution to the diet.
