February Membership Meeting: Kanuchi with Taelor Barton
We had a very special membership gathering on February 28, featuring Cherokee Nation citizen and chef Taelor Barton. It was our largest community turnout ever, filled with knowledge sharing, practicing cracking and grinding nuts, enjoying tasty traditional food, and laughing with Cherokee friends and family.
Taelor led us through a kanuchi demonstration (and tasting), a hickory nut dish traditional to Cherokees. She is an advocate for indigenous food sovereignty and healing food practices. We all appreciated it, especially when it results in such a delicious treat. Eating the kanuchi that day tasted like coming home.
We also honored Eloise Talk for her longtime service to the CNCV Board, enjoyed a great potluck, and gave away dozens of great items as door prizes.
About Taelor Barton:
Taelor Barton (Cherokee Nation) is an Indigenous Culinarian that hails from Eastern Oklahoma. She studied culinary arts at Tulsa Technology Center in Tulsa, OK where she trained and cooked competitively, later attending OSU-IT for Applied Sciences in Culinary Arts in Okmulgee, OK.
Taelor has always been connected to her indigenous nation by connecting with her elders, having blissful childhood memories going to native events and spending time with the foods outside in the countryside. After the loss of her grandmother, Edith Knight (Traditional Dressmaker, Cook, and Cherokee National Treasure) she began to weave indigenous food into her professional training as restaurant cook and chef. Now, she cooks for her bigger native family in community events, workshops, and dinners in her home state and beyond.
Taelor was taught how to make Kanuchi/Kanatsi/Ganugi by her grandmother. Chef Barton aspires to always show her honor by doing presentations and demonstrations like she did.
Read and see more about Taelor and kanuchi here:
