TEA

Florence Burton -
Kincolith

INDIAN TEA

The Nishga people call their tea ‘“tame-lock-lock-ock”’
which means ‘‘a place where there are only small branches
around”’. This is a description of the locations that tea plants are
usually found. The plant called Labrador tea or sometimes
Hudson's Bay tea, is about ten inches high with small leaves that
roll under at the edges. The leaves are picked from October to
April, before the plant flowers. They are dried for a few days,
then stored in a plastic bag for the winter. Prepare the tea with
the following recipe:

1. In a 2 quart porcelain or stainless steel saucepan place
2 handfuls dry tea leaves.

t

Fill the saucepan with cold water.

3. Simmer the tea on the stove for two hours then keep it
hot on the back of the stove for the rest of the day.

4. The tea is served hot any time of the day.

Indian tea has a sprucey flavour which may be improved
with the addition of sugar.

SWAMP TEA Mrs. Guiterrez —

Douglas Lake

| Swamp tea is gathered in the Nicola and Thompson Valleys.
This plant has a wider leaf than that of Labrador tea. It has a
white flower and can be gathered all year. With the exception of
the flowers, the whole plant, leaves, branches and roots, may be
boiled for tea. Boiling the flowers produces a red tea. This tea
makes a delicious drink by itself, but some people like to mix
the leaves with loose, black tea. This produces a drink with a
sweetish, strawberry-like aroma. Prepare the tea in a manner
similar to Labrador tea, |

WiLD ROSE TEA Mrs. Guiterrez — Douglas Lake

Louise Sam — Shulus

Remove the bark from wild rose bushes. Peel off the inner
bark. Cut the inner bark into té&ny pieces and pour boiling
water over them. Allow the tea to steep to desired strength.

SEAWEED

In May some of the people of Kincolith gather seaweed on
Wales Island in Portland Inlet. The seaweed is picked from the
rocks on the beaches at low tide. ft is about an inch wide and
twelve inches long and dark green to black in colour.

BOILED FRESH SEAWEED

Scaweed that has been recently gathered can be cooked
without drying. Dip the seaweed in flour and cook tn boiling
water until soft. The seaweed will be ready to serve in a few min-
utes. Occasionally, seaweed is boiled with fresh salmon eggs.

DRIED SEAWEED

Spread the seaweed on mals or canvas in the sun to dry
for two to three days. Do not dry it indoors or allow it to get
wet as this causes rotting. When the seaweed ts dry, leave it tn
chunks or cut it in pieces, cover, and store ina cool dark place.
Serve dried seaweed in chunks to be dipped in culachon grease,
or serve it boiled or toasted

TOAS1 ED DRIED SEAWEED

Spread dried seaweed in a shallow pan and toast in a 400°F
oven for ten to fifteen minutes or until very crisp. Be careful it
doesn't burn. Crush the seaweed into small pieces before storing
nan aitight container. |

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