Cooking Days

Cooking for ceremonies and other religious events is an essential part of the Zuni culture.  A cooking day, or days, can occur before events or on the same day.  The paternal aunts of men who take part in religious ceremonies are deemed the “head cooks.”  The immediate families of the men host the cooking event.  Much preparation goes into a cooking day.  The immediate family must be prepared to feed (breakfast, lunch, supper) from 10 to 20 people (or more) and provide the ingredients for the main items of the food to be prepared for the event.  For example, ingredients for Zuni bread, meats for stews and prepared dried corn, potatoes, or wheat to add, or pinto beans.  Meats such as mutton and beef are mainly used so sheep and cows may be butchered. The paternal aunts and other family members may also donate items for the cooking. The cooking day begins early in the morning and concludes towards early evening.  Seventy pounds of flour or more may be used for the bread and five or more stock pots, up to 140 quarts, may be used to cook the stews overnight in an outside oven.  Baking the bread and preparing the stews is hard work but it is a vital part of Zuni religious events.