Cooking Methods

Containers

Pottery or earthenware was not made. Instead, gourd and fibre baskets were used for cooking, eating, drinking and storage. For instance, gourds were used to store cooked foods such as pork, both wild and domestic pigeons and other birds. Each gourd had a specific name and function.

It has been suggested that the reason there were not many fermented drinks was the lack of a suitable container. The gourd was not frequently used as it gave a very unpalatable taste to fermented liquid.

The bark of trees and shells was used for cutlery.

Diet patterns

Before the arrival of Europeans the diet was high in fibre, consisting mainly of plants supplemented by small amounts of food from animal sources.

There was also a reliance upon a small number of staple plants that were slow growing and maturing and that gave low yields.

Europeans brought with them many novel and unfamiliar plants, the versatility and worth of which was soon appreciated and incorporated into the diet, better ensuring an adequate food supply.

However this was followed by a gradual decline in active involvement in agriculture as European farming became more widespread.