coontie
/ˈkuːnti/
noun
- A small palm-like plant native to Florida and the Caribbean, with starchy roots that were used by Native Americans to make flour.
- The coontie plant grows well in sandy soil and partial shade.
- Coontie is often planted in gardens as an ornamental ground cover.
- Early settlers learned to grind coontie roots into a starchy flour for bread.
- A starch or flour made from the roots of the coontie plant, used as a food source.
- The Seminole people traditionally made coontie by grinding the roots and washing out the toxins.
- Some health food stores sell coontie as a gluten-free alternative to wheat flour.
- Coontie flour can be used as a thickener for soups and stews.