List of wild foods
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIS : List of wild foods
Since prehistoric times, humans have hunted wild animals and gathered wild plants. After the invention of agriculture and herding, more and more of the human race has switched to obtaining food from domesticated crops and animals. Even marine fishes are now commonly aquacultured rather wild-fished. Today, most inhabitants of developed nations eat almost entirely domesticated foods. Nevertheless, some wild foods are still popular. This article lists wild foods that are either traditional or still popular today. The list is biased towards temperate climates.
Wild meats
Wild animals taken in hunting are often eaten. Their meat is collectively called game. In some countries, wild-game meat can be bought in grocery stores; in others (for example, the USA), you can purchase a government-issued hunting license and kill the animal yourself with a firearm or bow.
Seafood: wild
Most wild populations of fishes have been damaged by overfishing or pollution, so many species are now being domesticated and grown artificially (aquaculture). This is not necessarily good for the environment, as fish farms often cause pollution themselves. Most countries now strictly regulate fishing methods, seasons, and catch amounts in an attempt to keep fishing of the remaining wild species within sustainable limits. Some species commonly harvested commercially from wild stocks are:
In some countries, particularly in Asia, many species of seaweed (algae) are eaten:
Most wild populations of fishes have been damaged by overfishing or pollution, so many species are now being domesticated and grown artificially (aquaculture). This is not necessarily good for the environment, as fish farms often cause pollution themselves. Most countries now strictly regulate fishing methods, seasons, and catch amounts in an attempt to keep fishing of the remaining wild species within sustainable limits. Some species commonly harvested commercially from wild stocks are:
In some countries, particularly in Asia, many species of seaweed (algae) are eaten:
Flowers
Fruits
Wild-gathered fruit may find its way into commerce. This is quite common in Scandinavia and Finland, where the law allows the public to gather berries from both public and private lands. Some fruits are almost entirely obtained from wild plants:
- bilberry
- buffaloberry
- crowberry
- cloudberry
- lingonberry
- pawpaw
- juneberry
- juniper berry
- chokeberry
- elderberry
- huckleberry
- saskatoons
Other kinds of fruit are usually cultivated for commerce, but their wild ancestors and relatives are gathered in a small way:
Fruits which are gathered from the wild and rarely, if ever, cultivated are:
Nuts
- acorn --- used to make ersatz coffee during wartime
- beech
- Brazil nut --- allegedly the entire commercial supply originates from wild rainforest trees
- hazelnut
- chestnut
- hickory
- pecan --- many cultivated orchards were originally planted by wildlife
- pine nut
Greens
Wild greens are not commonly gathered today except in a very few areas, although nearly one thousand species of plants with edible leaves are known. The collection of wild greens can be a very enjoyable hobby, if time and care are taken. Be sure to consult books with adequate descriptions of the plants themselves and how to gather and prepare them. "Common names" vary from one location to another. Some plants, such as nettles, are tasty but care must be taken to avoid being stung. Other plants, such as milkweed, are poisonous raw and can only be eaten after boiling in 4-5 changes of water. Still other plants, like wood sorrel, are fine to eat raw, but not recommended in large quantities because of the oxalic acid content. Some children have been known to prefer wild greens (goosefoot, sorrel, etc.) to commercial leaf vegetables.
Other wild greens:
Mushrooms
Mushroom hunting is a popular hobby in many parts of the world. The majority of mushrooms in commerce are farmed, but wild collection continues because some of the most valued kinds (e.g., the truffles, Tuber spp.) are mycorrhizal species that are difficult to cultivate. Mushroom hunting has a high risk of poisoning when attempted without careful identification and expertise, since many deadly poisonous mushrooms closely resemble edible species and occur in the same habitats. Some edible species commonly harvested from wild areas are:
- chicken of the woods
- truffle
- morel
- oyster mushroom
- field mushroom (Agaricus campestris)
- and many others.
Bibliography
- Richard Mabey Food for Free
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.