Roadfood with Misha Collins | Arizona: Episode 11 | Frybread

People, culture and landscape

In this episode we are eating Frybread and meeting with members of different indigenous tribes.  These are the people who are carrying on the culinary traditions of their ancestors. Exploring this food, landscape and community is a brand new experience for Misha and we are along for the ride.  Also, this is a beautifully created episode that pulls right on those heart strings.

Foraging in the Desert

As the sun comes up, Misha drives to the San Carlos Apache reservation to meet Twila Cassadore.  She is a forager and historical knowledge preservationist. Twila grew up foraging with her father who was a hunter. They forage for barrel cactus and she explains that she knows when they are ready when the small pineapple looking bud comes off easily.  Twila explains that she is a seed carrier for her community. She teaches her knowledge about food to the younger generation.

Acorn Stew

They head to The Wickiup Grill to taste Frybread.  Bob Stevens explains this dish part of the past of the Apache people when they were in prisons.  The army gave them flour and they created frybread. He explains that it was at first created not by choice, but that today it is a part of the community. They also try Acorn Stew, which Misha describes as a simple flavored stew with a bitter acorn taste.

Small restaurant with big flavor

Next up is the Frybread House, which is a small restaurant.  It focuses on serving different kinds of Frybread and stews that reflect the authentic tastes and flavors of Native American food. Misha first tries the pozole. This is a spicy and flavorful stew filled with corn, beans and chili spices. The fry bread he tries is filled with beans, cheese, lettuce and Chiles. It is topped off with a creamy sour cream sauce.

Sage Advice

Finally, we are given a gift at the end of the episode, some teaching words from Bob Stevens, who says, “When you are walking and driving around, the world learns about you. When you are still, you learn about the world”.