Nevada has a rich history of diverse people and their cultures, which includes culinary styles and cuisine. Vacationers will have plenty of options when it comes to dining in the Silver State. This, however, was not always the case. Desert inhabitants were limited to the kinds of foods that were available to them. With the arrival of European settlers, Basque sheepherders, African-American miners, and Chinese railroad workers came an international infusion to the regional cuisine.
Desert Dining
The harsh environment of the Nevada deserts limited the amount of food that was available to their inhabitants. Dining in the desert was a process of non-selective food gathering. Meat was a small part of the diet of Nevada's Native Americans, as it was rarely available. Some meats that could be found in the desert included moles, shrews, weasel, skunks, badgers, coyote, bobcats, bears, ground squirrels and chipmunks, gophers, mice, rats, rabbits, deer, mountain sheep, and tortoises. Much of the game wasn't all present at one time or in one place, and the desert dwellers had to know where to go and when to look for them.
The Shoshone Indians, called "diggers," dug for roots and rodents for sustenance and were nomads who lived off the land. They also ate berries, seeds, and nuts, supplementing meat with pine nuts in the winter, leaves and stems in the spring, berries and herbs in the summer, and roots in the fall. Traditional dishes, usually made by the women, included soups or pine mush made on hot stones, with roasted shelled pine nuts that were crushed with stones called manos. Other ingredients for soups were sunflowers, sand grass (Indian rice), blazing star, screw beans, hone mesquite, and mustard.
Ants, grasshoppers, and larvae from the lake fly were also eaten. A desert delicacy for the Paiute Indians was grasshoppers trapped by the sweet, sticky sap of cattails. In areas with lakes and streams, fish was also considered a delicacy, and sometimes a diet staple, depending on availability.
The Mormons established some of the first settlements in Nevada and brought with them their own foods and cooking styles. A few heads of cattle and about 30 hogs were some of the meat products the Mormons came to the state with, along with grapes, melons, potatoes, corn, wheat, and squash, which helped the Nevada mine camps to survive.
Mining Meals
The discovery of silver at Comstock Lode sparked a huge migration of miners to Nevada. Because of the harsh condition of mine working, the silver miners survived on staples like coffee, beans, tinned items, sourdough biscuits and bread (which many families of pioneers still make), and other items that could hold up in extreme climates and difficult situations. In addition to these food items, the miners also incorporated fresh game and local seasonal fruits and berries.
The women of the mining camps would exchange recipes with each other, which became the foundation of Nevada's culinary styles. A few favorite dishes include meat-stuffed Cornish pasties and tripe stewed with onion, celery, and parsnips seasoned with mustard and Worcestershire sauce, with Saffron or Potato-Caramel cake for dessert.
With the gold and silver rush of the 1860s came the demand for more expensive dining options. Prospectors who had "struck it rich" held black-tie dinners in Virginia City, where French Champagne was served in twinkling glasses, and meals were served on imported china. West coast oysters were the delicacy of choice for those with new-found riches. Dishes like oyster loaf and oyster-stuffed quail were the masterpieces of fancy dinner parties.
Saloons were popular dining spots in mining towns, which were predominantly made up of single men. The saloon keepers catered to this population with common snacks and meals like cheese, potatoes, mutton pies, and other hot dishes. Other kinds of food served in saloons included lamb, beef, pork, and a variety of small mammals like rabbits, along with fish, fowl, and some wild birds.
Basque Cuisine
During the 1870s, hundreds of Basque sheepherders moved westward and migrated to the state of Nevada, living mostly in the remote mountains and hills where their flocks grazed. Many of these shepherd migrants had left their families behind in places like the Pyrenees mountains or on the Cantabrian coast in Spain and France, creating a lonely existence for these new Nevadans. To escape the isolation of the mountains, the shepherds would travel to nearby towns to stay at a Basque hotel, which became a second home for the sheepherders. Here they would rest, fraternize, and find out what was happening in their home countries.
In addition to comfortable accommodations, the shepherds were also provided with hearty meals, which included beef and lamb steaks, soup, salads, beans, spaghetti, bread, and wine. Each hotel served its own signature dishes to attract possible guests. Today's Basque restaurants share many of the same traditions as their predecessors, including having their own individualized style and qualities. Basque restaurants also have kept the tradition of "family-style" dining where patrons are seated side-by-side at long tables to stimulate conversation and friendship.
Basque cuisine was created with the appetites of hungry, hard-working people in mind. Recipes are simple and made with fresh ingredients, with garlic being the seasoning of choice. Generous portions were dished out to cater to hearty appetites. Traditional dishes include Basque-style Chateaubriand, which is a thick steak cooked between two thins steaks. The thin cuts are removed, and the rare, thick slab is served. Chateaubriand was commonly served to Basque athletes before they engaged in arduous sports like pelota (handball). Lamb is a staple in Basque cooking, and Basque chorizo, a lamb sausage, is comparable to the spicy Portuguese linguica. Basque cuisine has added a wonderfully rich tradition of delicious food and hospitality to Nevada's culinary styles, and there are a number of Basque restaurants located in the state.
Nevada's traditional culinary styles have evolved throughout the state's history, from foraging in the deserts to all-you-can eat buffet-style dining at glitzy casinos. Nevada offers travelers the opportunity to experience dining from different time periods, including indigenous dishes, mine-town meals, and top-notch international cuisine. So whatever your fancy, take advantage of Nevada's delicious culinary styles during your getaway.
