The History of Bannock

Bannock is common to the diet of almost all different North American indigenous people groups. Aboriginal people made it from corn and nuts, and flour made from ground-up dried plant bulbs. There were many regional variations of bannock that included different types of flour and the addition of dried or fresh fruit. Traditionally, First Nation groups cooked their bannock in various methods. Some rolled the dough in sand and then pit-cooked it. When it was done, they brushed the sand off and ate the bread. Some groups baked the bannock in clay or rock ovens. Other groups wrapped the dough around sticks and toasted it over an open fire. Pioneers may have introduced leavened breads to the Aboriginal people. The use of leavened breads spread and adapted from there. Pioneers also introduced cast-iron frying pans that made cooking bannock quicker and easier. Today, bannock is most often deep-fried, pan-fried or oven-baked. Bannock is one of the most popular and widespread native foods served at their traditional powwows, rodeos, festivals, and family gatherings.

Dryden bannock eatery savours national attention

Restaurant serving traditional fried bread is a family affair

CBC News Posted: Jul 24, 2014 12:11 PM ET Last Updated: Jul 25, 2014 2:42 PM ET ​

Picture 1: An employee at Kokom's Bannock Shack mixes up a batch of dough.

A Dryden, Ontario, restaurant has received national attention for the aboriginal food on its menu. Kokom's Bannock Shack was recently highlighted in the National Post as one of the best places to stop for eating in Canada. Bannock, a traditional fried bread, is served with every meal.

Owner, Josee Racicot, explained how the name and the concept for the restaurant came about: " ‘Kokom’ means ‘grandma’ in Ojibway. My grandma taught my mom to make bannock, my mom taught me and my mom has also taught my children. So actually there's now three generations that work in

Kokom's."

Picture 2: The bannock burger is one of the offerings on the menu at Kokom's Bannock Shack in Dryden.

Everything on the menu is homemade — with Indian tacos, bannock burgers and bannock poutine being among the specialties. The secret to making the staple for every meal has come with years of practice and family tradition, Racicot said. "It's in the mixing. My mom is very good at it. She's been trying to teach me. I can't quite perfect it as good as her."

Racicot joked that bannock is her comfort food and a tradition she's offering to her customers. "I want the food to be reasonable. I want them to come in, eat and not be hungry when they leave."

Since the article in the National Post, Racicot has seen an increase in the number of customers coming in and said she feels overwhelmed by the attention. Racicot is sharing her good fortune beyond just the menu. "We do get a lot of First Nations customers in here." Racicot said. "But it's also important to point out we accept local artwork to decorate the walls. So it means I am not the only successful person. They are too."

1. What was bannock of the First Nations people originally made from?

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2. Tell two ways that bannock was traditionally baked.

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3. What are some places that bannock is eaten by First Nations people?

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4. What does Kokom mean?

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5. What are some specialty First Nation foods available at modern restaurants?

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6. What is the secret behind making good bannock?

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7. What is on the walls of Kokom’s Bannock Shack?

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______Cree Bannock Ingredients: ​ - 3 cups of flour - ½ cup of lard ​ - 1½ tablespoons of baking ​ ​ powder - ½ tablespoon of salt ​ - 1 cup of currants or raisins (if desired) - 2 cups of water

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and lard, mixing it together by hand. 2. Then add the baking powder, salt, and the currants or raisins if desired. 3. Once this is done, add the water and work the ingredients into a dough. 4. Next, you have two options: the campfire or the oven. ● Campfire - Divide the dough into four lumps and firmly wrap each lump around the end of a stick and prop securely over the fire until golden brown. ● Oven - Spread the dough out in shapes onto a cake pan. Bake at 425º C for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Eat it as is or with toppings.

Indian Fry Bread To make Indian fry bread, do steps 1, 2, and 3, but do not use the lard nor the currants ​ or raisins. Next, continue from step 4: ​

4. Once you have the dough mixed, make small round pieces, about 1 cm thick. 5. Heat oil in a pan at a medium heat to fry the dough in. 6. After the oil is hot, fry the dough for about 2 minutes on each side, or until each side is golden brown. Indian fry bread can be used like tortillas for tacos or wraps, cut in half to use like a bun for burgers, or like a pita for sandwiches. Imperative voice We can express commands in English by using an imperative sentence made ​ ​ with the bare infinitive. ​ ​ infinitive = to + (verb) ​ ​ bare infinitive = (verb) without “to” ​ ex: Be careful. Open your books. Come here. ​

Similar to simple present tense, for the negative imperative we use the do-verb ​ ​ with not. Remember: ​ ● simple present tense = I/You/We/They (verb) . ​ He/She/It (verb+s) . ​ ex: I like onions. She has class… etc.

● negative simple present tense = I/You/We/They do + not + (verb). He/She/It does + not + (verb). ​

negative imperative = Do + not + (verb) . ​ ​ ex: Don't be late. Do not sit down. Don't have so many bags. ​

A command is always directly to one or many people, so the pronoun is always ​ “you.” You can use it exactly the same for singular or plural second person.

Singular Plural 1st I We 2nd You You 3rd He/She/It They ex: You take the bags. You wait here and I will call the police. ​ ​ ​ ​

We can also mention a person in the command. ex: Have something to eat, Greg. Students, don’t forget your homework! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Practice changing these sentences into a command using the imperative.

He should get a job. ______

They must not stop now. ______

You must go to bed. ______

You should get up early. ______

You mustn't stand here. ______

She can have a drink. ______

They cannot cook the food. ______

We need not wait for him. ______

We must have a shower first. ______

You can't park on this street. ______

You must listen to your teachers. ______