The Seven Species

 

The Seven Species of Israel

The "Seven Species" (Shivat HaMinim) are seven agricultural products—two grains and five fruits—listed in the Torah (Deuteronomy 8:8) as special to the Land of Israel. They represent the fertility of the land and ripen sequentially through the seasons. 

1. Wheat (Chita)
2. Barley (Se'ora)
3. Grapes (Gefen - often referring to wine)
4. Figs (Te'ena)
5. Pomegranates (Rimon)
6. Olives (Zayit - specifically for oil)
7. Dates (Tamar - specifically date honey, Silan) 

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The Seven Fruits of Santa Cruz County
Based on Santa Cruz County's agricultural reports and unique coastal climate, the following seven fruits align as the region's "natural" or economic equivalents. This list mirrors the Israel list by prioritizing dominant commercial crops, historical staples, and varieties that thrive in the local Mediterranean climate. 

1. Strawberries
   • Alignment: The undisputed "King" of Santa Cruz agriculture. Just as wheat is a primary staple for Israel, strawberries are the economic foundation of the county, valued at over $200 million annually.
2. Raspberries
   • Alignment: A major modern staple. Santa Cruz County is a global hub for berry production, with raspberries representing the second-highest fruit crop by value ($115 million+).
3. Blackberries (and Olallieberries)
   • Alignment: The "native" vine fruit. While commercially significant ($84 million), the Pacific Blackberry is native to the region's forests. Locally, the Olallieberry (a blackberry hybrid) is a cult favorite in Watsonville and Davenport, paralleling the cultural specificity of the Fig.
4. Apples
   • Alignment: The historical heritage fruit. The Pajaro Valley (Watsonville) was historically famous for its apple orchards (especially Newtown Pippins). While acreage has decreased, it remains a top crop ($13.3 million) and a symbol of the region's autumn harvest, similar to the Pomegranate.
5. Wine Grapes
   • Alignment: A direct parallel. The Santa Cruz Mountains AVA is one of the oldest wine regions in California. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay thrive here, mirroring the biblical significance of the Grape.
6. Persimmons
   • Alignment: The climate-perfect fruit. Local horticulturalists (like those at UCSC) cite the Persimmon as one of the most reliable, pest-free fruits to grow in the Santa Cruz climate. It serves as a modern "backyard staple" equivalent to the ancient Date palm.
7. Meyer Lemons
• Alignment: The "Gold" of the coast. While Olives grow in Santa Cruz, citrus (specifically the Meyer Lemon) is ubiquitous in local gardens and thrives in the frost-free coastal zones, providing the year-round harvest that olives provided in ancient times. 

For the indigenous peoples of Santa Cruz County—primarily the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone—wild fruits and berries were vital seasonal resources gathered alongside the primary staple of acorns. Unlike the modern commercial equivalents, these "Seven Native Fruits" were integral to both the diet and the medicine of the local tribes. 

The Seven Native Fruits of the Awaswas Ohlone 

1. Manzanita Berries (Arctostaphylos species)
   • Usage: A bountiful indigenous fruit found throughout California. The red berries were harvested to be ground into food or steeped to create a "delicious cider" and tea. The Ohlone used them both as a food source and as medicine for bladder and kidney health.
2. Huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum)
   • Usage: Considered one of the tastiest native berries, these were gathered in substantial quantities from the redwood understory. They were eaten fresh, dried for winter storage, or preserved.
3. Pacific Blackberries (Rubus ursinus)
   • Usage: A significant native fruit gathered in the summer months. These trailing vines provided sweet berries that were highly valued by coastal tribes.
4. Holly Leaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia)
   • Usage: Also known as wild cherry, the fruit pulp was eaten raw or made into fruit leather and juice. Interestingly, the large pits were not discarded; they were boiled in multiple changes of water to remove toxins, then mashed into a consistency similar to refried beans for consumption.
5. Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra caerulea)
   • Usage: Known as chishsha in the Awaswas language. While the ripe berries were eaten fresh, baked, or dried, the plant was equally valued for its wood; the Ohlone crafted clapper sticks, whistles, and flutes from its stems.
6. Toyon Berries (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
   • Usage: These bright red winter berries were traditionally dried and stored, then later cooked into a porridge or pancakes. They could also be prepared into a jelly or cider.
7. Woodland Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)
   • Usage: These "Alpine strawberries" produce tiny, intensely flavorful fruit. Beyond food, the Ohlone used the berries and leaves as a natural cleanser to whiten tooth enamel and prevent tartar buildup. 

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Key Supporting Indigenous Staples

While not strictly "fruits" in the modern culinary sense, two other plant products were even more central to the indigenous Santa Cruz diet:

• Acorns: The most significant food source for the Awaswas-speaking people. Harvested from Coast Live Oaks and Tanbark Oaks, they were ground in stone mortars (urswan), leached of tannins, and cooked into a thick porridge or bread.
• Hazelnuts: Native California hazelnuts (Corylus cornuta) were eaten whole or boiled to extract a flavorful oil. 

Forgotten Grains of the Coast: The "Seats" of the Ohlone Diet

When we think of the indigenous diet of Santa Cruz County, we almost always think of acorns. But long before the Spanish introduced wheat or barley, the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone people cultivated their own sophisticated "grain" belt in the coastal meadows.

These weren't just wild plants picked at random; they were the result of careful stewardship, harvested from what you might call the "native pantry." If you’ve ever wondered what sustained the local tribes when the acorn stores ran low, the answer lies in the tiny, nutrient-dense seeds of native grasses and wildflowers.

Here is a look at the two ancient "grains" that fed the first people of Santa Cruz.

1. The Grass Grains:  Blue Wildrye (Elymus glaucus)

While modern California hills are covered in invasive golden oats, the original meadows were a patchwork of native perennial bunchgrasses. The most important of these for food was Blue Wildrye.

• The Harvest: Unlike modern wheat, which requires sickles and threshers, these seeds were harvested with a specialized tool: the seed beater. Using a woven basket in one hand and a "beater" (woven from willow or other fibers) in the other, women would walk through the meadows, gently knocking the ripe seeds directly into their burden baskets without damaging the plant.
• The "Gardening" Secret: These grassy meadows didn't just happen. The Ohlone actively managed the land using controlled burns. By setting low-intensity fires after the harvest, they cleared out dead thatch and invasive scrub, recycling nutrients into the soil. This ensured that the Blue Wildrye would return thicker and healthier the following spring—a technique archaeologists call "pyrodiversity."

2. The Wildflower Grains: Tarweed & Chia

The second category of "grain" came from broad-leafed flowering plants (forbs). While we see them as pretty wildflowers today, to the Ohlone, they were vital crops.

• Tarweed (Madia species): If you’ve hiked in Santa Cruz in late summer, you’ve likely smelled the sweet, resinous scent of Tarweed. While sticky to the touch, its seeds are rich in oil and high in protein. They were a critical late-season crop, ripening when other greens had dried out.
• Chia (Salvia columbariae): Long before it was a modern "superfood," native Chia was a staple of the Santa Cruz coast. The tiny seeds possess an incredible ability to absorb water and provide sustained energy. A pinch of these seeds could sustain a runner or traveler for an entire day.
• Clarkia (Farewell-to-Spring): These pink wildflowers produced seeds that were gathered in bulk, adding variety and essential fats to the diet.

The Master Recipe: Pinole

So, how did they eat these tiny seeds? You couldn't just boil them like rice. The Ohlone processed them into a versatile food called Pinole. So yummy

1. Roasting: The raw seeds were placed in a basket tray with hot coals. The women would skillfully toss the mixture, keeping the seeds moving so they would toast evenly without burning the basket. This imparted a rich, nutty flavor (similar to peanut butter or toasted popcorn).
2. Grinding: The toasted seeds were ground in stone mortars into a fine, fragrant flour.
3. Eating: This flour could be eaten dry as a high-energy trail snack, mixed with water to form a drink, or cooked into a seed cake or mush.

A Landscape Remembered

Today, when you look at a "wild" meadow in the Santa Cruz Mountains, you are looking at the remnants of an ancient agricultural system. The patches of Blue Wildrye and Tarweed that persist are living artifacts—the "heirloom grains" of a people who farmed not with plows, but with fire and baskets.

The Seven Species: What Ancient Israel and a California Beach Town Reveal About the Food Beneath Our Feet

The modern food movement has taught us to think about where our food comes from—to "eat local" and appreciate the bounty of our specific region. But this idea is far from new. For millennia, cultures have been defined by the foods their land provides. One of the most ancient examples is the "Seven Species" of Israel, a list of foundational crops from the Torah that represents the very identity of the land.

This ancient template of seven core foods offers a powerful lens for understanding any landscape. But what happens when we apply it to a place half a world away, like the coastal hills and fertile valleys of Santa Cruz, California? The exercise reveals more than just a list of local products. It uncovers surprising parallels, layers of forgotten history, and a sophisticated food system that existed long before the first orchards were ever planted.

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1. A Surprising Mirror: The "Seven Species" of Santa Cruz

If we were to create a list of "Seven Species" for modern Santa Cruz County based on its most dominant commercial crops, a surprisingly clear parallel emerges. Just as the ancient staples of Israel defined its agricultural seasons and economy, a handful of powerhouse fruits define the economic landscape of this California region today.

Ancient Israel Staple	Modern Santa Cruz Equivalent
Wheat (Chita)	Strawberries
Barley (Se'ora)	Raspberries
Grapes (Gefen)	Wine Grapes
Figs (Te'ena)	Blackberries (and Olallieberries)
Pomegranates (Rimon)	Apples
Olives (Zayit)	Meyer Lemons
Dates (Tamar)	Persimmons

At first glance, this list might seem arbitrary, but the logic behind the pairings reveals a universal truth: every place has its essential foods. Strawberries are the modern equivalent of wheat because they are the undisputed "King" of Santa Cruz agriculture, an economic engine worth over $200 million annually. Apples, particularly the historic Newtown Pippin, are the "historical heritage fruit" of the Pajaro Valley, much like the pomegranate's ancient significance. The blackberry parallel is rooted in place; the Pacific Blackberry is native, while the locally beloved Olallieberry has a "cult favorite" status akin to the cultural specificity of the fig. And while olives do grow here, the Meyer lemon better represents the "ubiquitous," year-round backyard staple—the true "Gold" of the coast—that olives once were in the Fertile Crescent.

2. Deeper Roots: The Seven Native Fruits

But this billion-dollar agricultural powerhouse is just the most recent chapter. If we dig deeper, beneath the commercial fields, we find an entirely different orchard, one that has been tended for millennia. The indigenous Awaswas Ohlone people had their own "Seven Species"—a collection of native fruits vital to their diet and medicine. Two examples reveal the ingenuity of this system.

The Holly Leaf Cherry offered more than just its edible pulp. The Awaswas Ohlone knew that the large, toxic pits within could be transformed into food. Through a careful process of boiling them in multiple changes of water, they rendered the pits into a nutritious mash with a consistency "similar to refried beans."

Likewise, the tiny but intensely flavorful Woodland Strawberry was more than a sweet treat. The Ohlone used the berries and leaves as a natural cleanser to whiten tooth enamel and prevent the buildup of tartar, demonstrating a knowledge that integrated food, medicine, and daily life.

3. The Biggest Secret: California's Fields Weren't Wild, They Were Farmed

The most profound revelation comes from challenging the common perception of California's indigenous people as simply hunter-gatherers. While acorns were a staple, the coastal meadows that look "wild" to us today were, in fact, a sophisticated grain belt, carefully cultivated to produce staple foods that sustained communities for generations.

• The "Grains": Forget wheat and barley. The true grains of this coast were hiding in plain sight, in the seeds of native grasses like Blue Wildrye and the petals of prolific wildflowers such as Tarweed, Chia, and Clarkia ("Farewell-to-Spring"). These tiny seeds, rich in oil and protein, were the staff of life. The harvesting process itself was a testament to ecological grace: women would walk through the meadows with a woven "seed beater" and a burden basket, gently knocking the ripe seeds from the stalks without damaging the plant.
• The "Plow": The Ohlone's most powerful agricultural tool was fire. They used controlled burns in a practice now called "pyrodiversity." By setting low-intensity fires after the harvest, they intentionally "cleared out dead thatch and invasive scrub" and "recycled nutrients into the soil." This wasn't an accident; it was large-scale farming that ensured the seed-bearing plants would return thicker and more productive the following season.
• The "Recipe": To make these tiny, hard seeds edible, they were processed into a versatile staple called Pinole. First, the seeds were roasted with hot coals in a basket, a skillful tossing technique ensuring they toasted evenly without burning the basket. Second, the toasted seeds were ground into a fine, fragrant flour. This flour could then be eaten dry as a high-energy trail food or mixed with water to create a nourishing drink or porridge. These are the "heirloom grains" of a people who farmed not with plows, but with fire and baskets.

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Conclusion: A Landscape of Hidden Stories

When we look at a landscape through the lens of food, it ceases to be a simple backdrop. It becomes a text, filled with layers of history. In a place like Santa Cruz, the modern story is written in rows of strawberries and grapes. Beneath that is the deeper story of native blackberries and medicinal cherries. And deeper still is the almost-forgotten story of meadows managed by fire, which produced the foundational grains of a culture.

This layered history is not unique to California. It is written on every landscape, waiting to be read. What forgotten food stories lie buried in the fields, forests, and riverbanks of your own region?

Works Cited

• 2023 Santa Cruz County Agricultural Commissioner’s Report. Santa Cruz County Department of Agriculture, 2024, https://www.agdept.com/.

• Anderson, M. Kat. Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources. University of California Press, 2005.

• Bocek, Barbara R. "Ethnobotany of Costanoan Indians, Based on Notes by J. P. Harrington." Economic Botany, vol. 38, no. 2, 1984, pp. 240–55.

• "Deuteronomy 8:8." The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB, 2022, https://bereanbible.com/.

• Hylkema, Mark G. "Santa Cruz County Native American History." Santa Cruz Public Libraries, 2020, https://www.santacruzpl.org/history/articles/45/.

• Lightfoot, Kent G., and Otis Parrish. California Indians and Their Environment: An Introduction. University of California Press, 2009.

• Margolin, Malcolm. The Ohlone Way: Indian Life in the San Francisco-Monterey Bay Area. Heyday Books, 1978.

• Moerman, Daniel E. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.

• "Santa Cruz Mountains AVA." Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, 2025, https://scmwa.com/.

• Striplen, Chuck, et al. The Awaswas-Speaking Ohlone: Historical Ecology of the Santa Cruz Coast. San Francisco Estuary Institute, 2012.