Wild rice, which the Ojibwe call mahnomin (pronounced mah-no-men), has long been an important food for Native Americans in the Upper Great Lakes region.   Archaeologists say that Indians have gathered wild rice as far back as 2,500 years ago.     It has been called the “perfect food” because it is high in protein and fiber, but low in fat.  Actually, wild rice is not true rice like white rice, but a grain that grows naturally on top of a long grass in the lakes and river beds of the Great Lakes area.  During the warm days and cool nights of late August and early September, the plant ripens and its grains are ready to be gathered.    Traditionally, Ojibwe familes camped near wild rice lakes harvesting enough mahnomin to last throughout the year. Mahnomin is still gathered with canoes which are poled through the wild rice where a second individual partner vigorously knocks the rice into the canoe with rice knockers constructed of white cedar wood. The grain rice is spread to dry and then parched in large drums. Our rice is 100% natural, containing no insecticide or chemical fertilizers.   Wild rice is truly a unique and versatile grain. Try some of the recipes in this web site and  enjoy.