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.
The popularity of survival television shows and websites has brought indigenous foods back into the limelight. Every area of the world has its native animals that are good eating and plants that are nutritious, tasty, and often therapeutic. Even inner city residents are learning to identify edible weeds growing in vacant lots or in cracks in the pavement.
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.
Knowing what indigenous plants to eat and how to find them might be important in times of famine, economic turmoil, or personal money troubles. Mushrooms, for example, are enough like toadstools to be scary, but they are also calorie and nutrient dense and high in protein. Greens growing in lawns or along roads can make a meal for hungry people. California, with its long growing season, is especially rich in edible native plants.
Country folk may search out field cress in the spring or harvest ginseng and goldenseal to sell to herbalists, but most people do no more than pick berries in summer or go clamming off New England shores. California is blessed with many healthful wild plants, like elderberry bushes (elderberry wine is delicious, and syrup made from the berries boosts the immune system)and wild rose hips. The vast majority of people are unaware of the treasures that grow around them.
However, even those who never think of the word 'foraging' may garnish their ice tea with a sprig of wild mint or crystallize violets for cake decorations. Some may harvest day lily buds, saute them in butter, and enjoy them as much as cultivated asparagus. Others may know that plantain from the yard is sure to please their guinea pigs.
Fine restaurants are featuring ramps, purslane, and other wild foods on their menus. This brings up another aspect of foraging - responsible harvesting in order to preserve native populations of plants. Learning all the aspects of this time-honored pursuit is important for many reasons.
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.
The popularity of survival television shows and websites has brought indigenous foods back into the limelight. Every area of the world has its native animals that are good eating and plants that are nutritious, tasty, and often therapeutic. Even inner city residents are learning to identify edible weeds growing in vacant lots or in cracks in the pavement.
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.
Knowing what indigenous plants to eat and how to find them might be important in times of famine, economic turmoil, or personal money troubles. Mushrooms, for example, are enough like toadstools to be scary, but they are also calorie and nutrient dense and high in protein. Greens growing in lawns or along roads can make a meal for hungry people. California, with its long growing season, is especially rich in edible native plants.
Country folk may search out field cress in the spring or harvest ginseng and goldenseal to sell to herbalists, but most people do no more than pick berries in summer or go clamming off New England shores. California is blessed with many healthful wild plants, like elderberry bushes (elderberry wine is delicious, and syrup made from the berries boosts the immune system)and wild rose hips. The vast majority of people are unaware of the treasures that grow around them.
However, even those who never think of the word 'foraging' may garnish their ice tea with a sprig of wild mint or crystallize violets for cake decorations. Some may harvest day lily buds, saute them in butter, and enjoy them as much as cultivated asparagus. Others may know that plantain from the yard is sure to please their guinea pigs.
Fine restaurants are featuring ramps, purslane, and other wild foods on their menus. This brings up another aspect of foraging - responsible harvesting in order to preserve native populations of plants. Learning all the aspects of this time-honored pursuit is important for many reasons.
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