Last month I shared with you the top ten endangered indigenous foods of North America. The information contained was mostly fact along with my foodie enthusiasm regarding the potential we have in bringing these products back from extinction. This doesn’t mean they’ll show up on every dinner table in America but the awareness of their peril and the delicate balance of nature that keeps these foods endangered.

This month I would like to share the success stories of similar foods that were on the brink but have made a notable comeback due to the efforts of the conservation coalitions. Similar to the prairie grasses rehabilitation we are fortunate enough to witness throughout the Mid–West, R.A.F.T. is passionate about preserving the culture and history of our nation to its core. The top ten success stories are:

1. American Alligator – they were a traditional food source for the Native Americans living in the southern regions of Louisiana and Florida but hide harvesting in the late 1800’s all but decimated the population of this creature. Their recovery is due in part to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Protective measures were put in place to ensure sustainability and monitoring of the species.

2. American Chestnut- between 1904 and 1938 over four billion chestnut trees died due to disease brought over with ornamental Asian Chestnut trees. The American Chestnut Foundation has fought diligently to create a strain of disease resistant chestnut tree that is 90% true to its origin.

3. Louisiana Creole Cream Cheese- with the consistency of a flan and the sour tangy flavor of crème fraiche this cheese was the staple of Louisiana plates for over two centuries. It was an invention of necessity via the need to preserve soured milk instead of disposing. The curd was hung in cheese cloth from the shade of the oak trees. With the small dairy buy outs, the monster conglomerates had no allegiance to local tradition and eliminated it from production. Slow Food convivium took on the mission to introduce production on small scales and was once again made available in farmer’s markets with lines around the block to taste the tradition on the verge of culinary annihilation.

4. Dátil Chile Pepper- Brought over from the West Indies by the Minorcans to St. Augustine Florida, this firey hot chile (300,000 scoville units) has exceptionally poor keeping qualities, often being used right off the plant fully ripened. It was used as a staple in Minorcan pilau as early as 1768 and has been made into commercial hot sauces recently. The distinctive pungency and flavor is similar to the habañero which for the pepper aficionados prize this heirloom. It continues to be the pride of gardeners and chefs in the St. Augustine area.

5. Iroquois White Corn- A relic from pre-colonial America this corn was revitalized through the efforts of contemporary Iroquois and the development of the Pinewoods Community Farming which support this biodiverse crop. The use of this corn by recognized chefs and food publishers allowed for more exposure and assuredly a long-term future of Iroquois white corn.

6. Moon and Stars Watermelon- This heritage treasure was discovered in Macon, Missouri in 1980 by a seed searcher looking for the magical orb with the sweetness, color and rarity. This back-from-near extinction crop allowed for the interest in Cherokee and Amish speckled variant to emerge and has been the best selling heirloom from the Seed Savers Exchange for over twenty years.

7. Navajo-Churro Sheep- the oldest surviving sheep indigenous to North America was valued by Navajo’s, Anglos, and Hispanics despite government opposition. They were prized for their milk quality, wool, meat and hardiness in various climates from the Rio Grande to the Chuska Mountains The repeated decimation of this breed throughout history has just proven that it’s one of the hardiest breeds in the world. Once reduced to 500 this breed had made a come back and their value has rebounded thanks to the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

8. White & Brown Tepary Beans-cultivated for over 6000 years in the arid landscapes of Mexico and southwestern U.S. and able to mature on a single irrigation or a downpour. Rich in flavor and beneficial nutrients it was used in stew-like casuelas and dried ground pinole. Brought back by the efforts of Native Seeds/SEARCH, this bean has appeared in commercial gardens, restaurant menus, and global publications like National Geographic and Organic Gardening.

9. American Standard Turkeys- Domesticated by the Aztecs over 2000 years ago, nearly lost to homogenization due to mass production and genetic standardization this hardy bird is making a comeback. Turkeys have multiple varieties, are excellent foragers, hardy and disease resistant and were raised by small family farmers but they grew smaller than industrialized stocks. Saved by the restructured “chain of custody” with growers tenacious to rescue these heritage breeds, the comeback is supported by the Slow Food and American Livestock Breeds Conservancy through marketing and publicity campaigns. So next time you serve a gorgeous heritage bird on your table succulent and flavorful-you’ll know who else to thank.

10. Wild Rice- The Ojiway were resettled in the Great Lakes in the 1700’s where they developed elaborate cultural traditions around wild rice. They embrace this highly nutritious aquatic grass in which the harvest, cookery became an integral part of their lives. The traditional methods were all but lost due to commercial paddy development and mechanized harvest operations. The delicate and meticulous method of harvesting has made a comeback due to ecological, sustainable and reversion to traditional methods due to the efforts of Native Harvest and White Earth Land Recovery Project. The Ojibway now continue their knowledge to ensure a sustainable future for this crop.

Please note that none of these recovery’s happened by themselves. The efforts of preservation groups have allowed for our traditions and depth of culture to remain far into the future as long as we continue to support them. Much more information is available in the R.A.F.T. document as well as the sources of the heirloom seeds, livestock, and methods mentioned.