From Soup to Nuts: Ecology, Nutrition, and Consumption of Kunuche

Kunuche is a traditional Cherokee soup made from hickory nuts (Carya spp.), prepared according to similar recipes for centuries. Proposed research will use ethnoecological, biochemical, and anthropological methods to investigate the ecology, nutrition and consumption of kunuche among the Western Cherokee. Much is unknown about the true preparation and consumption of kunuche, its nutritional importance, and the impact of hickory nut harvesting on the environment. The frequency of kunuche consumption has dropped in recent decades just as the amount of sugar included in its preparation has risen drastically.  This has implications for the health of the Cherokee community, which suffers from high rates of nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes.  Quantitative data on nut harvesting, nutritional analysis and fatty acid profile of kunuche, and the content of the antimicrobial compound, juglone in kunuche will be collected.  In addition, the expressive, symbolic, and emotional components associated with kunuche will be explored.