After contact, the tribe also began to grow fruit like watermelons and peaches and to eat farm animals like chicken, pigs, and cows. In the pre-contact era, many meals were one-pot stews made over an open fire. Deer, bears, birds, native fish, squirrels, groundhogs, and rabbits were all hunted. Wild greens, mushrooms, ramps, nuts, and berries were collected. The three sisters – corn, beans, and squash – were grown. The tribal diet commonly consisted of foods that were either gathered, grown, or hunted.
Originally, before European contact, the Cherokee people lived throughout the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains. Many tribal social activities and interactions are centered around sharing meals and spending time together still today. What Traditional and Modern Food Do the Cherokee Indians Eat? Traditional Cherokee FoodĬommunity is an important part of Cherokee culture, from ancient times until now, and food has always been a way to bring the community together.
