What Is "No-Cake"?

M

Moving Target

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Feb 8, 2000
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Can someone please explain "no-cake" to me? I seem to remember hearing somewhere that some groups of Native Americans carried some sort of dried or powdered cornmeal to sustain themselves on long hikes. I believe it was only mixed with cold or sometimes hot water and eaten like grits or mush. Anyone know more about this? Anyone ever tried it?
 
Native American tribes in the East who practiced corn cultivation universally used wooden mortars for pounding corn and other hard seeds and nuts. They pulverized the corn into meal or flour, which was then used to make porridges, stews, and one of the most popular basic dishes among Indian tribes of the region—"Yokeg," "Yohicake," or "No-Cake," as it was variously called. Made by crushing corn kernels previously parched in hot ashes, this fine flour was carried in a leather or woven pouch, mixed with water before eating, and often the sole sustenance for men on long hunting trips
 
Not for nothing... it don't sound very tasty to me...

How about some instant rice and beef jerky instead?
 
believe it or not, parched corn is a very delicious snack, especially if you use a sweet corn when you parch it.
 
Not just corn, but practically any starchy plant can be dried, ground and prepared the same way. Native Americans used "coontie" flour and arrowroot the same way. You'll still find the latter called for in recipies to thicken sauces.
 
My late grandmother used tomake what she called "Hoe Cakes" which wasn't anything more than patty's of corm bread fried in lard. She also said it could have been made of flour instead of corn meal
 
Runnin' on recollection here (scarey... ;)) - but I think actual "hoe cakes" were made from a corn meal/dough and cooked on hoe blades near/over small fires.
 
Hey Rap Man!!
Sounds about right!!
I would have thought a shovel would have made bigger cakes!!
 
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