People have gathered edible plants and animals from the wild forever. This may seem alien to those who think meals come from supermarkets and restaurants, but it is still a way of life for many peoples of the world. Even in the ultra-civilized United States, interest in foraging wild food in Ca to NY is growing.
Those not into gourmet cooking or survival skills may wonder why anyone would go outside to find things to eat. Even residents of inner cities are doing it. Some do it out of necessity: remember Ernest Hemingway rhapsodizing about how good pigeons tasted when he was a hungry student in Paris. Others think it romantic, do it as a hobby, or follow the trend of cooking foraged foods.
Television shows have brought to public attention what had become arcane knowledge - the fact that many native plants are tasty, nutritious, or therapeutic. There is a wealth of great books and, now, online sites dedicated to teaching people how to identify and use plants that grow in cracks of sidewalks, in vacant city lots, or along the highways and by-ways.
Actually, most residents of North America know a little, like the facts that dandelions are edible or that toadstools are poisonous. They may have learned that native Americans made flour out of acorns, ate enough oysters to leave impressive piles of shells, and made pemmican out of dried meat and berries.
Obviously, this knowledge may be important someday if the economy collapses and supermarket shelves are empty. Mushrooms are a valuable source of protein and other nutrients, so it would be too bad to be starving and afraid to eat them. Especially in California's long growing season, knowing how to identify dandelions, plantain, and watercress would be very helpful.
There are lots of old favorites, like field cress, watercress, and cattails. Dandelion greens, lamb's quarters, plantain, and wild onions are other familiar foods. Berries, nuts, and honey from the hive are natural delicacies. Ginseng, goldenseal, native mints, rose hips, and elderberries have medicinal properties, another thing that might be good to know.
Others may not think of themselves as foragers, yet they sprinkle nasturtium flowers in their salads or saute day-lily buds at the peak of perfection (when the buds show color but are not yet open). Day-lily buds cooked in butter taste like asparagus. Suburbanites may sugar violet flowers for cake decorations or add a sprig of mint to a glass of iced tea.
Many fine restaurants are featuring 'ramps', or wild leeks, on their menus. This brings up the subject of 'responsible harvesting', making sure to protect native populations of edible and medicinal herbs and other plants. States do this by placing plants on the endangered list or making woodland preserves off limits for foraging. All wild-food gatherers should know the laws and police themselves to preserve this natural resource.
Those not into gourmet cooking or survival skills may wonder why anyone would go outside to find things to eat. Even residents of inner cities are doing it. Some do it out of necessity: remember Ernest Hemingway rhapsodizing about how good pigeons tasted when he was a hungry student in Paris. Others think it romantic, do it as a hobby, or follow the trend of cooking foraged foods.
Television shows have brought to public attention what had become arcane knowledge - the fact that many native plants are tasty, nutritious, or therapeutic. There is a wealth of great books and, now, online sites dedicated to teaching people how to identify and use plants that grow in cracks of sidewalks, in vacant city lots, or along the highways and by-ways.
Actually, most residents of North America know a little, like the facts that dandelions are edible or that toadstools are poisonous. They may have learned that native Americans made flour out of acorns, ate enough oysters to leave impressive piles of shells, and made pemmican out of dried meat and berries.
Obviously, this knowledge may be important someday if the economy collapses and supermarket shelves are empty. Mushrooms are a valuable source of protein and other nutrients, so it would be too bad to be starving and afraid to eat them. Especially in California's long growing season, knowing how to identify dandelions, plantain, and watercress would be very helpful.
There are lots of old favorites, like field cress, watercress, and cattails. Dandelion greens, lamb's quarters, plantain, and wild onions are other familiar foods. Berries, nuts, and honey from the hive are natural delicacies. Ginseng, goldenseal, native mints, rose hips, and elderberries have medicinal properties, another thing that might be good to know.
Others may not think of themselves as foragers, yet they sprinkle nasturtium flowers in their salads or saute day-lily buds at the peak of perfection (when the buds show color but are not yet open). Day-lily buds cooked in butter taste like asparagus. Suburbanites may sugar violet flowers for cake decorations or add a sprig of mint to a glass of iced tea.
Many fine restaurants are featuring 'ramps', or wild leeks, on their menus. This brings up the subject of 'responsible harvesting', making sure to protect native populations of edible and medicinal herbs and other plants. States do this by placing plants on the endangered list or making woodland preserves off limits for foraging. All wild-food gatherers should know the laws and police themselves to preserve this natural resource.
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You can visit livingwild.org for more helpful information about Foraging Wild Food In CA.
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