Gallery: Making piki bread with the Native American Hopi tribe of Arizona
Piki bread is a newspaper-like roll of wafer-thin flaking pastry, which tastes like unsalted corn chips. Despite its misleading name, piki bread has the texture of a flying saucer sweet and tastes nothing like bread as we know it. Made from finely ground corn, water and ash, piki bread is the traditional ceremonial food of […]
Piki bread is a newspaper-like roll of wafer-thin flaking pastry, which tastes like unsalted corn chips. Despite its misleading name, piki bread has the texture of a flying saucer sweet and tastes nothing like bread as we know it.
Made from finely ground corn, water and ash, piki bread is the traditional ceremonial food of the Hopi tribe – a sovereign Native American nation located in northeastern Arizona. It is still used in a range of Hopi ceremonies – from weddings to baby namings. Sadly, it’s a skill that’s diminishing.
Artist and jeweller, Iva Honyestewa, recently invited TLE into her home to see the intricate art of piki-making first-hand. Traditionally, Hopi Tribe members don’t like people taking photographs as they were once forced to pose by soldiers against their will.
However, Iva, whose husband is a doll carver and son is an aspiring artist, was happy for us to take pictures. Below is a gallery of Iva preparing piki on a hot stone.