BY: DANIEL KORN
Foraging for food comes with a variety of benefits. It forms a deeper connection between you and your neighbourhood, serves as a fun date/hangout activity, and allows you to eat healthily for free or at least up your cooking game with some natural flavours not typically found in your local supermarket. In a video produced by Inhabitat, “Wildman” Steve Brill and his daughter Violet identify six edible plants that can be found in nearly any town or city:
1. Ginko Biloba
This relative of the pine tree produces a poisonous fruit, which has an edible nut inside that can be baked for a delicious snack.
2. Epazote
The leaves of this bush, as Violet Brill explains, work very well as a herb for Mexican cuisine. It’s also medicinal, killing parasites and acting as a carminative—a substance that combats flatulence by preventing the formation of gas. So it’s a good one for that first date you’ve got planned.
3. Goutweed
Another herb, which tastes like “a combination of parsley, celery, and carrots.”
4. Sassafras
You can use the roots of Sassafras saplings to make tea or root beer. You can also use the leaves for Creole or Cajun cuisine.
5. Black Walnuts
These nuts tend to fall on the ground under their associated tree. You can break the outer-shell with any good smashing tool, revealing the tasty white nut within.
6. Field Garlic
Field Garlic grows right from the ground. The bulbs can be used like any garlic clove, while the leaves can be eaten straight up.
Sources: ecohomeideas.com, magazinzahrada.cz, pinimg.com
