Gateway Wild Food

We all need a gateway "drug" for wild food. Nope. Not a post about drugs (although we have a surprising amount of people ask us about hallucinogenic mushrooms at trade shows in our wild mushroom exploration station). The term gateway drug refers to a pleasant but mild experimentation with a new substance that creates confidence to try more potent experiences.

In terms of wild food foraging, what's the best way to create a good first experience? Well, they've got to check the following boxes.

1) Prolific and easy to find

2) Easy to identify with very few look-a-likes

3) Good flavor & texture that is easy to cook

4) Easy to harvest & process with success

5) Extremely low incidence of allergic reaction or indigestion

If we follow those rules, that means no mushrooms to start off. Too many people have allergic reactions or their bodies cannot process them. So that turns us to plants! Below is a list of plants/plant parts that we recommend to start to your journey.

Beginner's List

SPRING:

Wild Garlic

Chickweed

Nettles

Violets

Dandelion Petals

Cherry Blossoms

SUMMER:

Blackberries, Raspberries, Wineberries, Black Raspberries

Wild Spinach

Mint

Shiso

Purslane

Wild Garlic

Wood Sorrel

Chickweed

FALL:

Paw Paw Fruit

Autumn Berry/Olive

Acorn Flour

Wild Garlic

Wood Sorrel

Chickweed

Nettles