Wild onion dinner facts for kids
Wild Onion dinners are special get-togethers held in the spring by many Native American tribes in Oklahoma. These events are especially popular with tribes from the southeastern United States. The main food at these dinners is the wild onion, a plant that was a common food for most tribes living east of the Mississippi River.
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What Are Wild Onions?
The term "wild onion" can refer to several different plant types. Most often, it means Allium vineale or Allium canadense. Another type, Allium tricoccum (also called ramps), is eaten in the eastern United States. However, it is not a traditional food in Oklahoma.
Finding and Preparing Wild Onions
Families often go out together to gather wild onions. They collect them from February to April. You can even find these plants growing in cities. Usually, wild onions are cooked by frying them with scrambled eggs. Sometimes, poke salad is added to the dish.
Delicious Foods at the Dinner
Besides the wild onions, many other tasty foods are served.
Popular Side Dishes
Some common side dishes include pork, frybread, and corn bread. These foods are often enjoyed alongside the main wild onion dish.
Sweet Grape Dumplings
For dessert, people often eat grape dumplings. Long ago, these dumplings were made from the juice of local grapes, sometimes called "possum grapes". Today, they are often made using frozen grape juice and biscuit mix.
Where and How Dinners Are Held
Many Wild Onion dinners are hosted by cultural clubs, Native American churches, and stompgrounds. Stompgrounds are special places where traditional ceremonies and dances are held.
Activities and Traditions
These gatherings can include gospel singing or prayers spoken in tribal languages. Stickball games are also common. Stickball is a traditional Native American game that later inspired the French game of lacrosse.
History of Wild Onion Dinners
In 1932, a cookbook from the Indian Women's Club of Tulsa shared a tip. It suggested using scallions with a bit of garlic instead of wild onions. These could be fried in bacon grease. The Indian Women's Club in Bartlesville has hosted a yearly wild onion festival for over 50 years.
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