- Cherokee bean bread is
a staple food that would

be part of almost every
meal in a Cherokee home.

It's made with two of the
three sisters, the staples

of Cherokee agriculture
which are corn and beans.

This is a recipe for the
bread that would be used

pre-contex of truly
traditional food.

(energetic music)

This modern recipe I am kind
of marrying together the

idea of Cherokee bean bread
with tamale preparation

because they are such
similar types of dish.

We're going to be using corn
husks to put these together.

Traditionally with blard sorbs
or any kind of bean bread

we use corn leaves.

But again bringing this dish
into our homes you can't

necessarily go and get
corn leaves all the time.

This is masa harina and
these are some brown beans

that I have had simmering on
the stove for a few hours.

And some rendered fat
and these is going to add

a little more flavor to the jar.

Cooking is such a part
of my life in every way

it's the way that you
can communicate a feeling

to people it's a good thing
to share with someone.

Cooking traditional food,
specifically for me is a

tad of my culture that
feels more real than

even dancing, or singing
the way that I really

feel connected to my
culture is by making the

food that my ancestors
have made before me

and sharing it
with other people.

(up beat music)

When it gets to this
consistency I like to

get my hands in there

to make sure, the only way
to know if you've got enough

water in there is to
put your hands in it.

So I am just grabbing kind
of little fist sized portion

here for my first babsor, we
call them babsors because of

the shape it's kind of a
flat oval shaped bread.

I'm just going to put
it in here and then...

Wrap it up.

A little steam.

(up beat music)

Okay, so that's all of
our little bean breads

and set this to steam
for the next 45 minutes.

Been on the stove
for about 45 minutes

I'm just going to check
to see if they're done.

These look great.

Let's check one of these,
these look perfect.

Cherokee bean bread
or blard sorbs.

(dramatic music)