Vassa Yaganova uses her hoe to dig up roots

12:17 - 15:13

“These here are bistort roots. I use a hook to dig them out – this tool is for digging up the roots. These are the roots of the snake bistort. When you dig, you find patches like this. You gather them and clean them well. Then you wash and dry them – and when you cook them, they soften again, because they dry out a lot. After soaking them in water, I mash them. Mixed with dried fish roe, seal fat, and fireweed pulp, it becomes a porridge – tolkusha – when blended well. It’s also a good remedy for diarrhea. People who have diarrhea eat a few spoonfuls of it. But of course, you shouldn’t eat too much – otherwise, you’ll get constipated from the porridge. Still, when people have diarrhea, they often eat too much. The root is white inside. When dried, it darkens a little. And when it’s still white, it sometimes even smells a bit sweet – and tastes that way, too. I always carry my hoe in my bag when I go into the forest – and I use it for digging.”

Recorded by Erich Kasten. Lesnaya, 2002.