Corn & Berry Porridge
This comforting corn and berry porridge is a variation on nasaump, a traditional Wampanoag dish made with ground corn and enriched with seasonal ingredients.
By Yankee Magazine|Aug 24 2026|
Corn & Berry Porridge
Credit: Photographed and styled by Liz NeilyAt the Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ Historic Patuxet Homesite, lead interpreter and Wampanoag culinary expert Malissa Costa showed senior food editor Amy Traverso how Indigenous cooks have long used ground corn to make nasaump, a porridge that can be enriched with native berries, nuts, and maple syrup, depending on the season. Amy developed this version, cooked with cranberries (native to New England) and topped with toasted walnuts and fresh berries. For sweetness, Amy says, “I’m certain I used more maple syrup than a Wampanoag cook ever would, but my tastes have been shaped by a lifetime of easy access to sugar—pour as generously as you like.”
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
1½ cups medium-grind cornmeal
4 cups water (or 2 cups water and 2 cups milk)
¾ cup cranberries (fresh or frozen)
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1/3 cup maple syrup, plus more to taste
Your choice of walnuts (preferably toasted), fresh blueberries and raspberries, and yogurt or cream, for garnish
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, combine the cornmeal, water (or water and milk), cranberries, salt, and maple syrup. Cook, stirring every minute or so to prevent sticking, until the cornmeal is tender and the mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add more maple syrup, if you’d like. Spoon into bowls and top with your choice of garnishes.
