Wild Food
commonsense and tradition
There was a time – not too long ago – when almost everyone who lived in a rural area would recognise all the edible plants, fruits and fungi growing in the hedgerows, woods and verges of their neighbourhood.
While many do still go out and pick wild blackberries, for most that is the limit of their experience. The folklore of wild food has been another victim of the progress of supermarket shopping and lives increasingly disconnected from the countryside around us. The book cannot teach you the knowledge of bygone generations, nor does it attempt to guide you as to what is edible and more seriously what isn’t. You also need to be aware of places that are best avoided when picking wild food such as sites that may be affected by traffic fumes, dog faeces and chemical sprays etc.
There are many guide-books and courses to help you with those problems. What it can do though is stimulate an interest and enthusiasm for the natural world, a greater understanding of the countryside and introduce you to the possibilities of “wild food”. The responsibility for correct identification, modest sampling of plants and keeping within the law rests entirely with you, the reader. It is also advised that wild plant recipes should be avoided during pregnancy, or if you are taking medication for any medical condition.
- It is necessary to point out that there are a large number of legal measures in place to protect wild plants and animals. Generally, you need permission from the owner of the land to gather any wild food plants growing on private property. If a plant is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is a criminal offence to pick any part of it.
- The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, extended that level of protection to all wild plants growing on access land and land mapped as“ open country”. Picking fruit or leaves from plants alongside public rights of way, highways and other public spaces is accepted provided the gathered produce is not then sold commercially.
In any case, venturing out armed with this cookbook and the intention of gathering all the wild garlic or edible fungi within a wood or stripping the landscape in order to supply nettles to make enough soup for 5,000 is not legal, ethical or reasonable! If you do pick leaves of a wild plant, please exercise care and respect, so as to ensure the future viability of the plant is not affected. It is also worth reminding you here, that many people visit the AONB to see the wild plants in bloom in springtime, so do exercise restraint when picking leaves - do not gather so much in one place as to leave a bare patch.
The Conservation Cookbook does make suggestions about where to source ingredients and even highlights some wild food plants that are easy to grow from seed in your own garden or a window box. The AONB Service offers advice on the legal aspects of gathering wild food and maintains a list of local food suppliers, some of whom will be able to source the more exotic ingredients contained in a few of the recipes.
stimulate an interest and enthusiasm for the natural world
