Comments on: Mesquite milling http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/ Eating Locally in Southern Arizona Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:26:38 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-56 Anonymous Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:46:49 +0000 http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-56 Does the mesquite flour that you buy from Native Seeds taste the same as when you mill the beans yourself? I tried the flour from there and am wondering how different the taste would be? Does the mesquite flour that you buy from Native Seeds taste the same as when you mill the beans yourself? I tried the flour from there and am wondering how different the taste would be?

]]> By: waltzingaustralia http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-42 waltzingaustralia Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:23:35 +0000 http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-42 Thanks so much. I'm bookmarking your blog for future reference. Lots of good info for a part of the country food historians often overlook. (And I'll be in New Mexico in a few weeks -- maybe I'll find mesquite flour there -- but if not, glad to have somewhere I can order it.) Thanks so much. I’m bookmarking your blog for future reference. Lots of good info for a part of the country food historians often overlook. (And I’ll be in New Mexico in a few weeks — maybe I’ll find mesquite flour there — but if not, glad to have somewhere I can order it.)

]]> By: marci http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-41 marci Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:05:31 +0000 http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-41 We're glad that mesquite fascinates you! Obviously we're very excited about it too, and it's nice to share our enthusiasm with you. Mesquite is very sweet in an astringent, nutty sort of way. The flavor is unlike anything I've tasted before. I don't know if mesquite pods can be eaten fresh, but the dried pods can be eaten right off the tree. Their seeds are very hard, and the pods are extremely fibrous (a nutritional benefit), so it's more of a gumming and spitting experience than a gobbling one, but it's worth it. I'm not aware of other ways to prepare mesquite in addition to eating the beans whole or grinding them into flour. I think Native Seeds/SEARCH (listed under our "local sites" heading) sells mesquite flour if you're interested in trying it, although their flour is from Peru (go figure?). Mesquite is chock full of minerals and vitamins, and contains important macronutrients too. You will find lots of nutritional information about mesquite on the Desert Harvesters link on our blog (also under "local sites"). I believe the Desert Harvesters web site has photos of the pods, too. The Native Seeds/SEARCH web site discusses the drive to reinvigorate the local, traditional food culture of the Tohono O'Odham and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S., and hopefully you will find the information you are seeking about the continued use of other traditional foods there. Thanks for your questions- we are always happy to try to answer them! Let us know if you discover any more exciting ways to use mesquite. Marci and Chris We’re glad that mesquite fascinates you! Obviously we’re very excited about it too, and it’s nice to share our enthusiasm with you. Mesquite is very sweet in an astringent, nutty sort of way. The flavor is unlike anything I’ve tasted before. I don’t know if mesquite pods can be eaten fresh, but the dried pods can be eaten right off the tree. Their seeds are very hard, and the pods are extremely fibrous (a nutritional benefit), so it’s more of a gumming and spitting experience than a gobbling one, but it’s worth it. I’m not aware of other ways to prepare mesquite in addition to eating the beans whole or grinding them into flour. I think Native Seeds/SEARCH (listed under our “local sites” heading) sells mesquite flour if you’re interested in trying it, although their flour is from Peru (go figure?).

Mesquite is chock full of minerals and vitamins, and contains important macronutrients too. You will find lots of nutritional information about mesquite on the Desert Harvesters link on our blog (also under “local sites”). I believe the Desert Harvesters web site has photos of the pods, too. The Native Seeds/SEARCH web site discusses the drive to reinvigorate the local, traditional food culture of the Tohono O’Odham and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern U.S., and hopefully you will find the information you are seeking about the continued use of other traditional foods there.

Thanks for your questions- we are always happy to try to answer them! Let us know if you discover any more exciting ways to use mesquite.

Marci and Chris

]]> By: waltzingaustralia http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-40 waltzingaustralia Thu, 18 Oct 2007 05:18:55 +0000 http://tucsonivores.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/mesquite-milling/#comment-40 What does mesquite flour taste like? What is its nutrition profile? What native groups ate it? What do the pods look like? Can they be used some way other than grinding into flour? What other local, traditional foods are beginning to be utilized in the area? Sorry if that's too many questions, but I'm a food historian, and this stuff fascinates me. There are so many things on this continent that have been adopted all over the world, and yet there are still so many things that never left home. It always fascinates me. What does mesquite flour taste like? What is its nutrition profile? What native groups ate it? What do the pods look like? Can they be used some way other than grinding into flour? What other local, traditional foods are beginning to be utilized in the area?

Sorry if that’s too many questions, but I’m a food historian, and this stuff fascinates me. There are so many things on this continent that have been adopted all over the world, and yet there are still so many things that never left home. It always fascinates me.

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