Lewis and Clark Expedition - What was on the Menu?
Special thanks to Norm Miller for procuring the lists below and inspiring us every trip with your immense knowledge and passion for everything Lewis and Clark, Upper Missouri River and Montana history.
One of our favorite parts of guiding multi-day canoe trips on the Upper Missouri River here in the great state of Montana is certainly creating gourmet meals along the riverbank. (Click here for our sample menu.) We take an immense amount of pride in preparing fresh, locally-sourced and creative dishes. We utilize as many ingredients as we can sourced from our large garden; and we hunt for wild game and forage for mushrooms and more. Having fun can be hard work, and good food is the best fuel. We are lucky though. Our modern gear and accessibility to fresh food allows for incredible meals in the middle of nowhere. Plus, we arrange it so that on longer trips, we get resupplied with fresh food, water and ice (yes, ice) halfway through. Most importantly, we love talking about food with our folks, sharing recipes and trying new ideas. Food can bring us all together.
Have you ever wondered what the Corps of Discovery consumed in order to battle the elements, labor those heavy boats upriver and survive the perilous journey into the West and back? The answer is: a lot! However, the menu was certainly not varied as the length of the journey prevented carrying any fresh ingredients. They survived mainly on game they hunted. It is nearly unfathomable to understand the magnitude of their labor and thus their capacity to consume the game they killed. The Corps of Discovery consisted of thirty-two men, Sacagawea, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (her son), Seaman (Lewis’ large Newfoundland dog) and about ten French men hired to work the boats out of St. Louis.
“It requires 4 deer, or an elk and a deer, or one buffalo to supply us for 24-hours.”
List of the Game Killed by the Lewis and Clark May 14, 1804 - September 24, 1806
Deer (all species combined) — 1,001
Elk — 375
Bison — 227
Antelope — 62
Bighorn Sheep — 35
Grizzly Bear — 43
Black Bear — 23
Beaver (shot or trapped) — 113
Otter — 16
Geese and Brant — 104
Ducks and Coots — 45
Grouse (all species) — 46
Turkeys — 9
Plovers — 48
Wolves (only 1 eaten) - 18
Indian dogs (purchased and consumed) — 190
Horses — 12
Source: Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, with Related Documents, 1783-1854 by Donald Jackson (1978)
Additional Provisions Listed in Clark’s Memorandum
14 bags of Parchment of 2 bu. — 1,200 lbs
9 bags of Common Meal of 2 bu. — 800 lbs
11 bags of Corn - hulled of 2 bu. — 1,000 lbs
30 half barrels of Flour + 2 bags — 3,400 lbs
7 barrels of Bisquit — 560 lbs
7 barrels of salt — 750 lbs
50 kegs of Pork — 3,705 lbs
2 boxes of candles & 50 lbs of soap — 170 Ibs
1 bag of candle wick — 8 lbs
1 bag of coffee — 50 lbs
1 bag beans and 1 bag of peas — 100 lbs
1 bag of sugar — 112 lbs
1 keg of hog’s lard — 100 lbs
4 bundles of Hulled corn — 600 lbs
1 bundle of meal — 150 lbs
600 lbs of Grease — 6— lbs
50 bushels of mean — ?
24 bushels of Natches corn hulled — ?
Provisions Acquired by Israel Whalen, Purveyor of Public Supplies in Philadelphia
193 lbs Portable soup
30 gallons Spirits of Wine in 6 kegs
2 lbs tea & canisters
Fortunately, game was relatively plentiful during the journey. When the hunters were able to procure as much game as they could, each man could eat up to nine pounds of meat in a day! Lewis also insisted on bringing a large cache of tradable goods destined to be gifts for the many Native American tribes they encountered along the journey. Among the most valuable result of this barter system was the procurement of additional food supplies. A Montana PBS article by Tori Avey states
“The Mandan tribe of North Dakota provided squash, beans and corn. The Chinook along Washington’s Columbia River gave them essential, energizing carbohydrates in the starchy wapato. When they reached their final destination at Fort Clatsop (near modern day Astoria, Oregon), the Clatsop tribe traded berries, wild licorice root and elk. As they passed through modern day North Dakota, French-Canadian fur trapper Toussaint Charbonneau joined the expedition with his wife Sacagawea, a young Native American woman from the Shoshone tribe. Sacagawea proved a valuable member of the team. She was able to identify edible plans and roots that the men had never seen before, including currants, wild licorice and wild onions.”
After crossing the continental divide, exiting the mountains and residing by the ocean, it was reported, however, that after maintaining and relying on a diet mainly of wild game, the men’s digestive system found it rather difficult to abruptly swivel to a primarily fish diet. Although we tout the benefits of fish in our modern diet, one can imagine the rich, fatty salmon diet might have blindsided the hardened bellies of the hard-working men.
Quite possibly the most interesting item on the list is 193 pounds of Portable soup. One wonders if there were multiple kinds, in the very least. This item was a particular pick by Lewis himself. In mid-April, Lewis was ramping up his procurement schedule. In Frederickstown, he made several important item requests from General William Irvin, superintendent of military stores, with headquarters in Philadelphia. Stephen E. Ambrose writes in Undaunted Courage (Chapter Seven: Preparing for the Expedition):
“First on the list was '“Portable-Soup,” a dried soup of various beans and vegetables that Lewis may have used during his travels as an army paymaster. In any case, he was enthusiastic about it. He told Irvin, “Portable Soup, in my opinion, forms one of the most essential articles in the preparation [for the expedition], and fearing that it cannot be procured readily in such quantity as is requisite, I… take the liberty to request that you will procure two hundred pounds of it for me,” or however much was available on the market. “I have supposed that the soup would cost about one dollar or sum of $250 as more cannot be expended.” In the end, Lewis spent $289.50 on 193 pounds of portable soup, by far the highest sum for any area of provisions. He spent as much for dried soup as he had originally estimated for his instruments, arms and ammunition.”
One can barley imagine the enormous task of determining the list of goods to bring, procuring them, rationing the good stuff and, moreover, being satisfied every night with relatively the same meals. It is also nearly impossible to imagine the amount of wildlife present on the prairie during this time. The hunters were exceptionally skilled and labored to supply the expedition every day with food, but, thankfully, game was usually not in short supply. There were times, though, when the terrain prevented easy access to wildlife (especially through the stretch we call the Badlands today).
We remain awed at the resilience of the members of the expedition and forever thankful for insulated coolers, zip lock bags, freezers and regularly supplied grocery stores!
Captain Clark and his men shooting bears. Library of Congress
Wildlife Highlight: The Grizzly Bear
The expedition shot and killed 43 Grizzly bears during their journey. This is perhaps the most surprising stat seeing as we now know these incredible animals to reside mailing in the mountains, not the prairie.
We are often asked about bears: are bears present through the river corridor? Should we bring bear spray and are there rules regarding food storage? The answer is: it’s complicated. The history of the population and life Grizzly Bears in Montana (and the West) is extremely controversial as well as fascinating yet depressing. With intentional care to avoid wading into the weeds of the Grizzly Bear debate (no politics on the river = rule #1), it is quite interesting to briefly explore the history of this magnificent animal.
First, we recommend Paul Schullery’s book: Lewis and Clark Among the Grizzlies: Legend and Legacy in the American West. His website states this:
“Of all the perils and wonders encountered by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery when they crossed the American continent two centuries ago, non so perfectly represents the enduring mystique of the western wilderness as does the grizzly bear. In this thoughtful, deeply researched, and adventure-filled book, historian-naturalist Paul Schullery honors the expedition's profoundly important scientific and cultural contributions to our idea of the grizzly bear. The first book to exhaustively explore both the discoveries made by the Corps of Discovery as they encountered these magnificent and perilous animals, and the misunderstandings that grew from the Corps' reports of grizzly bears, Lewis and Clark Among the Grizzlies: Legend and Legacy in the American West is a significant contribution to the lore and scholarship of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the North American grizzly bear.”
So you might ask, if the Corps of Discovery shot and killed 43 Grizzly Bears, it follows that they probably encountered a great deal more… thus, just how many Grizzly Bears were roaming the West at the time of the Expedition?
Lisa Landenburger, USGS - Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. Public Domain. Sources: IUCN, M. Proctor, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team.
This article published by Montana Public Radio (By Josh Burnham & Nick Mott, Published April 2, 2021) states: “At their peak, grizzly bears numbered more than 50,000 in the Lower 48. They roamed from the West Coast to the Great Plains, from northern Alaska to central Mexico. Facing threats from habitat loss, hunting and conflicts with people and livestock, their numbers dwindled to fewer than 1,000 in the lower 48 by the time the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was implemented in 1975.” What follows in the article is a fascinating and in-depth timeline of the population decline and recovery of the Grizzly Bear.
As we can see from the population range illustration, the Grizzly Bear did, in fact, have permanent residence throughout the prairie. Often we picture the Grizzly Bear in alpine settings in Yellowstone and Glacier National Park. In the Spring of 2021, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks reported sighting Grizzly Bear tracks about five miles from one the most popular camping sights on the Upper Missouri River - Eagle Creek Camp. Is this alarming? Possibly. Yet, these bears have such a large range, and currently, the food sources that once existed on the prairie are significantly different today. Thus, a rapid increase in the population is unlikely at this time. Moreover, the bear must still contend with the presence of livestock and human recreation. Montana FWP monitors the activity and responds accordingly. For now, the bears are not a threat to campers on the Upper Missouri River. It will be interesting to see how the population and movement patterns evolve.
On a lighter note, we were recently recommended (by my 3 years old niece) a charming and absolutely fascinating kids’ documentary by National Geographic: Growing Up Animal Episode 106 — A Baby Grizzly's Story. The animal and natural world is nearly incomprehensible!
Montana Company Highlight: Timeless Natural Food
Our menu features Black Beluga Lentils, Crimson Lentils, Purple Prairie Barley, and Farro, which are just a few of the incredible and fascinating products offered by Timeless Natural Food. Not only are these grains and lentils delicious, we love talking about them!
Timeless Natural Food (Timeless) is ‘America’s Only Gourmet Line of Heirloom Organic Lentils and Specialty Grains.’ A bit about the company’s history as stated on their website:
“Timeless was given birth in 1987 when four organic farmers from central Montana – Bud Barta, Jim Barngrover (our dear friend), Tom Hastings, and David Oien – came together to grow a self-reseeding leguminous cover crop called George Black Medic, which had been developed at Montana State University by Dr. Jim Sims, and named for his father. The dream was to introduce this new crop to farmers in the Northern Great Plains as an alternative to cultivated fallow fields and thereby reduce erosion, build organic matter, save soil moisture, and provide natural nitrogen fertilizer for following crops….the Timeless boys, who were among the first organic farmers in Montana, remained committed to crop rotations, natural fertilizer, and alternative agriculture. Knowing that they and other organic farmers needed viable cropping and market alternatives, they turned their focus to “pulse crops,” edible annual legumes like peas and lentils.”
These crops are now cultivated by many farmers across Montana and the West under the Timeless brand, many of which are around the Fort Benton area. Timeless’ processing plant in Conrad, Montana sorts, ships and distributes the products across the country and beyond.
If you want a fascinating, heartwarming and inspiring read, we recommend Lentil Underground: Renegade Farmers and the Future of Food in America, by Liz Carlisle. This incredible book chronicles the history of Timeless, farming in America and highlights this small but powerful movement in Central Montana.
Special thanks to one of the founders and our dear friend and garden buddy, Jim Barngrover, for supplying us with these products and always inspiring our dedication to gardening, seed sharing and promoting locally-grown products.
Recipe Highlight: Black Beluga Lentil Hummus
The moment you have all been waiting for… a recipe! We are constantly modifying, improving and accepting recommendations for all of our dishes. We encourage your creativity and modification of this recipe. Please share your experience with us.
Note: apologies for not providing exact quantities. Usually we are making a huge batch and just season to taste :-)
Ingredients and general method:
Black Beluga Lentils
Bouillon or stock (we use vegetable stock)
Sweet onions
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Mustard seed or ground mustard
Olive oil
Additional flavors can include: roasted red pepper, hot/mild peppers, cayenne, your favorite herb (basil, thyme, savory, cilantro), rice wine vinegar (to taste)
Cook lentils: bring water, stock and lentils to a boil, reduce and simmer until soft. We like to remove about 1/4 of the cooked lentils to keep whole and add to the hummus for texture. You can keep cooking the lentils until they are very soft (easier to blend). Drain if necessary. If you are using dried herbs, you might want to add them to the cooking lentils towards the end of cooking time.
Caramelize onions: roughly chop onions, heat a pan on medium, add a bit of oil, sautee onions until they start to turn translucent, reduce heat to low, sprinkle with a pinch or two of sugar and continue to cook the onions on low, slow heat until they caramelize, gently stirring regularly.
Roast garlic: chop the top 1/10 off a whole bulb of garlic (you can make a bunch and freeze). Drizzly the cut top with olive oil, wrap the bulb in tin foil and roast in the oven (perhaps 350-375 degrees) until it’s soft when you squeeze it. Let it cool, then remove the cooked garlic by either squeezing or peeling.
Blend/food process: lentils, onions, garlic, salt & pepper, mustard seed/ground mustard, and any additional flavors. You might need to add a bit of water or the leftover stock in order for it to blend. General recommendation: add the olive oil after blending or right at the end as blending olive oil can lead to a bitter taste. If you reserved some whole lentils, add them now for texture.
Enjoy with chopped vegetables, crackers, spread on a sandwich, on toast, dolloped on a yummy soup or really any way!
A few other book recommendations regarding the cuisine of the Corps of Discovery
They Are Dogs for Dinner: Feast, Famine, and the Foods that Fueled the Lewis and Clark Expedition, S.E. Evans
Feasting and Fasting with Lewis & Clark: A Food and Social History of the Early 1800s, Leandra Zim Holland
The Food Journal of Lewis & Clark: Recipes for an Expedition, Mary Gunderson & Dennis Dahlin