Wild Food
ZEN

 

 

By Roditch

copyright © Roditch 2019

all rights reserved

 

 Disclaimer

    The contents of this book are for educational and gardening purposes only. Before using or ingesting ANY herb or plant for medicinal purposes or otherwise, please consult a physician, appropriate research or a medical herbalist for advice.

This book is an introduction to the kinds of wild foods people are eating every day around the world. Most of the information in this book will have some scientific or anecdotal evidence. BUT it is important you use this as a guide to the many options you have with wild food in conjunction with your own research and conclusions about each plants safety and its exact botanical name.

Introduction

 

    Supermarkets are not our only option for food.  Vegetable markets, especially Asian ones have a much more diverse and cheaper range of food. If you have stuck with peas, beans, carrots, and broccoli all your life you are missing out. And so does nature, the original source of food for everyone and now just a few. If you are worried about the cost of food or what you would eat in case of a natural or human-made disaster then you need to learn about the huge amount of leaves, flowers, and seeds you can eat out of Nature’s garden everywhere, including your own backyard.
   This small book is the same as all the books in the ZEN series.  It is a taster, inspirer, and prodder to learn more and change your life for the better. It is about edible leaves, seeds, and flowers that you are all around you, in your garden, parks, and forests. There are so many benefits: saving money, fresh food, no pesticides (normally) and the herbal (health) benefits they have over conventional farm-grown food and there is a huge fun factor too. Learning about foraging for food is a lot of fun, (better than playing games on the internet) empowering, and satisfying. We humans are not robots yet. We need a balance of nature and technology in our lives (much more nature would be good). You can think about foraging for your food the same as fishing. Fishing people learn all about the different kinds of fish and the best spots to catch them. Same for leaves, seeds, and flowers. It is time to go out into the wild and catch more food.
    The commercialization of our food is now out of control with the cancer-causing (see the WHO) Glyphosate herbicide and immune destroying genetically modified food (GMO) there is no better time than right now to fight back against the immoral poisoning of our food and the food chain.
    The first step is to buy organic food from a local grower and the second step is to hunt for your own food in the village and in the forests. The third step is to grow your own wild food in your garden. “It may look like a purple flower, like any other flower but this one you can eat and drink” (Butterfly Pea). 
     Food is expensive.  I often see people buying a trolley load of canned and packaged foods with one apple in supermarkets. I am shocked that fresh food is so expensive; people are getting fatter and sicker because of the way food is now grown and sold.
    I don’t like paying a lot of money for food that has been grown with poisonous herbicides in soil that is lacking all the vital nutrients. If the food was expensive but super healthy maybe I would buy it sometimes but the combination of poisons and price, these days,  is crazy.       
   This is not what I would call a developed civilization; it is more of the same we got and get from tobacco companies who pedal their poisonous weeds for a huge profit.  With tobacco, there are laws restricting its use and advertisements explaining its dangers. But with food, there is nothing protecting our children from eating chemically infused food. In June 2019 President Trump reduced restrictions on the development of GMO food and animals. Everyone needs to be more careful now eating commercial food than at any time before.
    Most countries in Southeast Asia eat a lot of local wild food. For them, it is a normal and necessary thing to do. Wild plants usually have some herbal value as well as filling your stomach.
   Edible leaves, seeds, and flowers are beneficial for your health and eaten often will probably keep you young and healthy. This can not be underestimated: the nutritional value and medicinal value of wild foods are huge. When you eat wild food you will be spending quality time, hopefully with family, in nature, gathering free food and also improving your health because of the healing properties of wild food.
    This is a good way and I think in conjunction with organic food it is the only way to keep you and your family safe, healthy and happy. 
    Cancer is a preventable disease most of the time. Doctors do not tell us how to be healthy, yet, our health is their job? Most doctors are negligent in their duty as healers because they never optimize their treatment. A good example of their negligence is prescribing antibiotics to treat viral infections when they actually increase the severity of the flu by weakening our immune systems.  It is negligence that would normally be punished but medical associations hold a lot of power over people and governments.
    If you want to stay healthy for your entire life then you need to eat more wild food, drink pure water, get lots of sunlight on your body and exercise every day. The ‘Blue Zones’ are worth looking at on the internet, do a search for them.  It is a big and serious decision to make for your life. I have seen a lot of people suffering from treatable and preventable illnesses. This suffering is no FUN when it happens. Changing your lifestyle to incorporate Wild Food is a wise one and within your power to do it NOW. Our fates are in our own hands.  So many people regret their lives when they lay in a hospital dying. This means the months and years get away on us and all our dreams cannot wait for the right time only the ‘now time’.  If we want to spend more time with friends and family do it now.  If we want to stop smoking, lose weight, change jobs or travel NOW is the time because every time your lying and tricky mind says “next week” those weeks turn into years and a lifetime.
   Action is the cure for nearly all problems because it negates the negative effects of your mind’s fears, worries, memories, and phobias (often from childhood, living in your subconscious)  that become negative thoughts in your mind: I can’t do it, I don’t have time, I am not smart enough and and…  If you let your mind control you with negative thoughts you will never know your full potential in any area of your life. Usually, all the people you love and admire are normal people that don’t listen to the negative mind rant on every minute. This is often achieved by successful people through meditation, yoga, exercise, and self-discipline.  A good starting place to learn more is as needed.

 

Plants for a future – Database of 7000 plants
https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx

Mango Leaves and Diabetes

    I have great respect for making Mango Leaf Tea from young fresh leaves. There is a lot of evidence on the internet of people using MLT for reducing blood sugar. As per the Chinese, mango leaves can be your answer to cure diabetes! An extract of mango leaves has been used for centuries to treat diabetes as well as asthma. It is because of the leaves’ abundance of nutrients.
    The theory, in fact, has been backed by science too. A study conducted in 2010 showed that the mice who were given the mango leaves extract absorbed less glucose, which ultimately lowered their blood sugar levels, compared to those who were not.
   Now, how does this happen? First, mango leaves extract can improve insulin production in your body. Besides that, it also increases the distribution of glucose, which helps in stabilizing sugar levels in your blood.
    Secondly, these leaves are also rich in many nutrients, such as pectin, fiber, and vitamin C. This helps in lowering bad cholesterol levels in your body.
    Thirdly, these leaves are also known to relieve the symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination at night, blurred vision and excessive weight loss.
    They are also rich in antioxidants and you don’t have to a diabetic to consume them. Anybody can reap their nutritional benefits.

How to consume mango leaves?  All that one needs to do is boil about 15 fresh mango leaves in 100 to 150 ml of water. Leave the concoction overnight and drink it before your breakfast in the morning. Try following it every day for about three months to see any visible results. The young new leaves are delicious to eat as well.

Moringa Leaves
Moringa oleifera

  I often collect Moringa leaves and eat them fresh and sometimes dry them out (in shade)  and put a tablespoon of powder in half a glass of water. Moringa is one of the top 10 detox herbs and is pretty cheap if you know someone with a tree.   Moringa oleifera is a plant that has been praised for its health benefits for thousands of years.   It is very rich in healthy antioxidants and bioactive plant compounds.
Some benefits of Moring supported by research. Moringa is very nutritious and goes by the names of the drumstick tree, horseradish tree, and ben oil tree.
   You can eat the leaves and the pods. Which are good sources of vitamin b6, vitamin c (especially the pods), iron, riboflavin, vitamin A and magnesium.
   Moringa oleifera Is Rich in Antioxidants which are detoxifying.  The antioxidants are quercetin, beta carotene, and Chlorogenic acid.
    Moringa can reduce blood sugar levels. Several studies have shown that Moringa may help lower blood sugar levels. One study of 30 women showed that taking 1.5 teaspoons (7 grams) of moringa leaf powder every day for three months reduced fasting blood sugar levels by 13.5%, on average.
    Moringa can reduce cholesterol, inflammation and help with arsenic toxicity.
    Moringa is easy to grow from cuttings and is becoming a very popular leaf worldwide for health, especially as a detoxifier. Anyone suffering from Parkinsons Disease would do well to drink Moringa Powder every day in conjunction with CBD Oil.  It tastes pretty good and you can include it in any recipe, especially salads and quiches.

 

Papaya Leaf
Carica papaya

   I love eating papay fruit for the many enzymes it has to aid digestion (the same as pineapple). The seeds are like pepper and good for killing parasites and other amazing properties. The ripe fruit of the papaya is usually eaten raw, without skin or seeds. The unripe green fruit can be eaten cooked or raw and is used as an ingredient in salads (Som Tum) and stews. The fruit is very good for the digestion system. The black seeds of the papaya are edible and have a sharp, spicy taste. They are sometimes ground and used as a substitute for black pepper.  The fruit is high in vitamin C and A.
    Young papaya leaves are eaten like a vegetable in some cuisines, and papaya leaf tea has a variety of purported medicinal effects like a cure for Malaria and Dengue Fever. Papaya leaf juice contributes significantly to the production of platelets and increases the platelet count.” Papaya leaf tea is also good for cancer, as protection from gastric ulcers,  protein, and gluten digestion.
Papaya leaf juice also acts as a potent cleansing agent for the liver, thereby healing many chronic liver diseases, jaundice, and liver cirrhosis.
    The juice is also good at reducing blood pressure, relieving menstrual pain and promotes hair growth.
    You can juice 4 or 5 small young leaves with water or put the leaves in a pot and drink the tea.

 

Grapevine Leaves

    I remember my first Dolma. I was smitten with its olive oil, rice, and peppery flavor. Grapevine leaves are edible and they are good for you.  Whether freshly plucked from grapevines or canned, grape leaves can supply your body with a wide range of beneficial nutrients, from omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants (with good levels of total phenols, flavonoids, flavonols, and stilbenes) to magnesium and calcium.
    They can help with varicose veins and have high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids like flax seeds, chia seeds, and walnuts.  They are also very antimicrobial.
   Dolmas are a common way to eat grapevine leaves.    Grapevine leaves are a fantastic vegetable. If you have access to an organic vineyard then you could have an unlimited supply.  They are incredibly healthy and delicious. Grapevine leaves are probably eaten a lot by people in the ‘Blue Zones’ in Greece and Sicily. Anglos in the world can benefit a lot by copying Greek, Italian, Japanese and Mediterranean diets.
    When I was living at home my parents mainly eat a normal Anglo diet supplemented with crayfish and some rollmops. My father was quite eccentric with his abnormal love of herbs, naturopathy, and international foods. I certainly have continued in his footsteps. When I was 18 I had my first pizza from a real Italian restaurant and my love of Italian, Turkish, Mexican, Greek and Indian food blossomed.
   It is not good to eat only the food your parents cooked for you. It is boring and unhealthy.
  

Edible parts of vegetable plants

    In the west, we are quite wasteful with food, especially the food we never knew we couldn’t eat. Here are some good ideas to get more healthy and save money.
   Celery leaves or tops are delicious and go well in any salad or soup.  Watermelon pickles can be made using the edible watermelon rind.
    The flower stems of broccoli and cauliflower are delicious. The roots of parsley can be eaten and used in soups. The pods from English peas can be cooked and eaten. Sweet potato leaves can be cooked and used in soups and stews.
   Stuffed squash blossoms are a delicious meal. The leaves of all these vegetables are edible. Green beans, Lima beans, Beets, Broccoli,  Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, Okra, Onion, English and Southern peas, Pepper, Radish, Squash and Turnip.
    In Asia, people are more likely to eat all the different parts of vegetables and fruit than not; same as they eat meat and fish: nothing is wasted. This is exactly the opposite to the West, where so much is thrown away?  This is not only wasteful, crazy and expensive it is not good for our health.  The healthiest parts of meat and fish are the liver, brains, and kidneys. Same with vegetables and fruit. The leaves, seeds, rind, and roots are packed full of goodies that are good for health and longevity.  If you want to be more healthy and save a LOT of money then “eat everything”. We all have so much to learn about saving money and living more naturally with nature.

New Zealand Spinach
Tetragonia tetragonioides

    This is a fantastic vegetable. Use New Zealand spinach in salads, pasta, soups, omelets and any other dish you enjoy with leafy greens. One serving of New Zealand spinach equals 1 cup of chopped, fresh leaves. Consult your physician if you have a history of kidney stones to ensure New Zealand spinach is safe for you to consume.

    One serving of New Zealand spinach contains just 8 calories, 0.8 grams of protein, 0.1 grams of fat, 1.4 grams of carbohydrates and 0.8 grams of dietary fiber. This low nutritional profile allows you to add it to meals without working against your daily goals. For example, you can stir 4 cups of New Zealand spinach into a salad, greatly increasing the serving size, while only adding 32 calories total. New Zealand spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A, with 2,464 international units, or IU, per serving. Other notable vitamins and minerals in one serving of New Zealand spinach include 16.8 IU of vitamin C, 32 milligrams of calcium, 22 milligrams of magnesium and 16 milligrams of phosphorous.
   New Zealand spinach is an annual green that often behaves more like a perennial. This is because the plant continues to grow and produce until the surrounding environment is no longer favorable for its growth and partially because it produces seeds close to the crown of the plant where they inconspicuously drop into the soil.  They then lie dormant until conditions are ideal for them to germinate and continue growing the following season.

Soak the seeds overnight before sowing.  Plant in pots or direct seed into the garden, spaced at 1-2 feet apart.  New Zealand spinach likes fertile soil, so the addition of organic matter in the form of compost, worm castings or animal manures will help maintain its lush vegetative growth.  Harvest by snipping 3-4 inch tips of the stems or individual leaves.  Picking them at least once a week ensures continued lush growth and leaf production.  They may be prepared as you would spinach – either by cooking (steamed, boiled, stir-fried) or by eating fresh in salads, and may substitute for spinach in any recipe.

    My father loved New Zealand spinach.  This is a wonderful vegetable that makes it into this book because it is edible, easy to grow and normally people never eat it.

Blue Butterfly Pea
Clitoria ternatea

   This has to be the most beautiful natural coloring for food and teain the world. By adding a few buds of this flower in a pot while cooking white rice will add bluish tint to the rice which is served with other side dishes. In Thai cuisines, the flowers are dipped in batter and fried. They are also added to salads.
   Butterfly pea flower tea is made from the flowers and dried lemongrass and changes color depending on what is added to the liquid, with lemon juice turning it purple.
    In Thailand, a syrupy blue drink known as nam dok anchan is made from the leaves, and it is sometimes consumed with a drop of sweet lime juice to increase acidity and turn the beverage a pink-purple color. In Thailand, this butterfly blue pea flower tea is commonly mixed with honey and lemon for a drink usually served after dinner, or as a refreshment at hotels and spas.  The tea is found in both hot and cold varieties, where the cold version is often mixed with honey, mint, cinnamon, passion fruit, and ginger.

Katuk 
Sauropus androgynus

Katuk is becoming more and poular around the world. Katuk is one of the staple vegetables in the rainforest climate of Borneo.  It can be eaten either cooked or fresh for its nutritious leaves and shoots. The unique flavor of these leaves is most similar to raw peas when eaten raw. It grows exceptionally well in Florida, going dormant in the winter.
   Katuk is disease and pest resistant and tolerates most soils and grows in sun or shade. For the best tender shoots and leaves, grow katuk in at least half shade and fertilize frequently. This shrub should be occasionally pruned to 3-5 feet since it tends to grow straight up until it falls over. In SW Florida it can be killed back by frost but grows back from the ground and may re-grow bushier than before.  In Asia, katuk is propagated by seed as well as cuttings, but in SW Florida it is best grown via cuttings.
   They have a really nutty/pea flavor and are produced in abundance by the plants. The leaves are also nutrition-packed, especially with regards to protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Also, the tips of young branches are often eaten, and they are referred to as tropical asparagus.

 Chaya
Cnidoscolus Aconitifolius,
Tree spinach

   This is a great plant to eat if you live in America. Also known as the “spinach tree”, chaya is an evergreen plant that is native to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. For several centuries this was the staple food of the Mayas, who had named it Chay.
   A member of the Euphorbiaceae family, Chaya is similar to hibiscus or cassava plants. Its leaves are long and wrinkled and the flowers are white. They resemble the leaves of cabbage but they cannot be eaten raw. Some varieties have short, stinging hairs that can require the use of gloves for harvesting, but these disappear when the product is cooked.
   Chaya grows in hot, humid and bright climates, and can reach heights of six meters tall, though it is usually about two. This plant is also quite resistant to insects, abundant rains and drought.
   Chaya leaves are traditionally prepared by immersing them in boiling water for 20 minutes and then eaten with oil or butter. Maize and pumpkin seeds can be added, or the leaves can be used to prepare tamal, a traditional Mesoamerican dish. The chaya leaves are eaten with soups, broths, rice or eggs. They are also used to prepare tortillas, empanadas, omelets, and cream or various traditional dishes from the region, like Dzotobichay or Tobil Chay Ts’o, a tamal filled with egg, pumpkin seed sauce, and tomatoes.
   Families in the rural communities or Quintana Roo prepare chaya tortillas for special occasions and some religious holidays, including hetzmek, a baptism ritual named for the way in which the baby is held against the godparent’s left side.
   Some studies suggest that chaya contains more nutritional substances than spinach. It’s a good source of protein, vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and various minerals and enzymes that are beneficial for the body. Chaya helps regulate blood pressure, improves circulation, is useful for digestion and disinfection and reduces cholesterol levels. For all of these reasons, the plant is used for its medicinal purposes.

Mulberry Leaves

   These trees are everywhere and offer a lot of free food as long as you cook it first. Various cultures rely on leaves from red and white mulberry trees for their medicinal properties. The American Diabetes Association notes that mulberry leaves may reduce blood glucose levels for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Leaves from the white mulberry have also been used for sore throats, eye infections, and colds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The plant can cause gastrointestinal distress and headaches if prepared improperly, however, so it is very important that you consult your doctor for guidance before eating mulberry leaves for medicinal purposes.  Collect young, unopened mulberry leaves in the spring. Once the leaves mature and open, they are toxic and no longer edible, naturalist Steve Brill warns in his book “Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places.”
    The best mulberry greens are the tips of actively growing shoots from trees that have been cut back. Harvest only as far down as the stem can easily be snapped with your fingernail. If it bends or creases instead of snapping, go further up toward the tip.
    Rinse the leaves in running water to clean them, then boil them for 20 minutes. Drain the water and pat the cooked leaves dry with paper towels. Toss the leaves with greens and other vegetables of your choice to create a salad. You can eat them with some butter too.

Stinging Nettles

Urtica dioica

    My Naturoptah father loved stinging nettles for their iron and many health benefits. Stinging nettle has a flavor similar to spinach and is rich in vitamins A, C, D, K1, and many minerals including iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, silica, iodine, silicon, sodium, and sulfur. Nettles also provide chlorophyll and tannin, and they’re a good source of B complex vitamins.
   Stinging nettle has high levels of easily absorbed amino acids, and they’re ten percent protein—more than any other vegetable!
   Nettles are a traditional herbal ally for people with allergies, but lest you think they are just a “folk remedy,” a randomized, double-blind study at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon showed that 58 percent of hay-fever sufferers given freeze-dried nettles rated it moderately to highly effective.
   As an expectorant, nettles are recommended for asthma, mucus conditions of the lungs, and chronic coughs. Nettle tincture is also used for flu, colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia.
   Nettle infusion from young leaves is a safe, gentle diuretic—considered a restorative for the kidneys and bladder, and used for cystitis and nephritis. Nettles are also a great blood tonic and a helpful part of any detox regimen.
   Harvesting nettles Put on your gloves, and begin looking for tender young plants. Harvest the nettles by cutting off only the upper leaves (no larger than about 3” wide). Check the undersides of the leaves to make sure there is no white spittle present. Since you want only the leaves, you’ll save yourself a lot of effort later by cutting the leaves from the stems as you go. If you’re pressed for time, you can cut the upper third of the young plants (about 5” from the top) and separate the leaves from the stalks when you get home.
    Collect the nettles in a plastic bag. You’ll need about a shopping bag full of leaves to make a pot of soup that yields about 10 to 12 cups.
   Make sure that all of the leaves are separated from the stalks. Drop the leaves into a sink or bowl of warm water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. This washing process by itself will remove much of the sting from the nettles. You’ll see that the soaking water becomes a rust-orange color; this is nothing to worry about.
   Bring a large pot of water to boil, and add a few pinches of salt. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the washed leaves to the pot. Blanch the leaves for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   While the leaves are blanching, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice for an ice-water bath. Transfer the blanched leaves to the ice water, and stir. Lift them from the bath and spread them out onto a clean dish towel or paper towels, and pat them dry. The ice-water bath stops the cooking process and locks in a beautiful green color.
   Alternatively, if you plan to cook with the leaves right away, you can skip the ice bath and add the leaves to your recipe.
   Store blanched leaves in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can dry them well and freeze them in a sealed bag.
   Celebrate spring with a beautiful, green, delicately fresh Nettle Soup .

Chop the leaves and use them as a garnish, sprinkling over salads, sauces or egg dishes, much as you would with parsley or cilantro.
   Infuse Italian or Greek dishes as you would with spinach: nettles are great for adding to fillings or making colorful pasta.
   Nettle tea compresses or finely powdered dried nettles are also good for wounds, cuts, stings, warts, and burns. Other uses include treating gout, glandular diseases, poor circulation, enlarged spleen, diarrhea, and dysentery, worms, intestinal and colon disorders, and hemorrhoids. Nettles are usually used along with other herbs that target the affected organs.

 A good site for information about the health benefits of Singing Nettle is Dr. Axe https://draxe.com/stinging-nettle/

Sorrel
Common and French Sorrel

     Sorrel really is a good vegetable to grow in your vegie garden. Sorrel was once a common ingredient in soups, stews, salads, and sauces. Sorrel disappeared for decades but it is now finding its way back into gardens and kitchens, where its tantalizing flavor and good nutrition can be enjoyed.
    Sorrels are members of the Rumex family, found mainly in temperate climates all over the world. Sorrels have long been cultivated as culinary herbs, valued for their lemony flavor.

 (R. scutatus), now known as French sorrel, was developed in Italy and France in the Middle Ages. French sorrel became popular in England toward the end of the 16th century, and by the 17th century, it was the preferred form.
   The tart, lemony flavor of both French and garden sorrels is due to the presence of oxalic acid. The herb tastes best in early spring and becomes increasingly bitter as the season progresses. Sorrel is Rich in vitamin C and is high in oxalic acid so don’t eat if you have kidney problems.
   Use the tender, young leaves in salads, and the larger leaves for soups, stews, and sauces. Try adding a handful of leaves to a nice spring lettuce salad, or toss it in with cabbage for a refreshing coleslaw. If you want to go for an all-sorrel-no-lettuce salad, pair it with a sweeter dressing or with fruit; this salad recipe pairs raw sorrel with white peaches and this one features a combo of beets, strawberries, and sorrel,

Cooking reduces sorrel’s oxalic acid content, and it also makes the leaves soft and rich and delicious, like really good spinach. Highlight sorrel’s lemony flavor by pairing it with fish or shellfish.
The historic sorrel-based “green sauce” was commonly paired with veal; here is the German version that Saveur magazine claims is delicious with boiled vegetables.
The most common way to cook sorrel, across many different cultures, is in the soup (sorrel soup). This is an Eastern European spring delicacy, usually garnished with sour cream, hard-boiled egg, and croutons.

An update along the way.

   I am not an expert on edible leaves, seeds, and flowers.  I have eaten a lot of different ones and I am a huge supporter of everyone eating wild foods (not from a supermarket)  to save money and be much healthier (wild foods are normally organic and have high medicinal values).  The more I study them the more exciting and amazing it is: there are so many plants you can eat and a lot of good books and websites to guide you on your way.  
   This book is a snippet and hopefully inspires you to take your studies and eating habits much further and deeper. Some wild foods definitely need cooking before you eat them like Mulberry leaves. Some, maybe many, could be hard to find. If this is the case then you should consider planting as many trees and bushes as you have land for and can find the seeds.  
   Plants like sorrel and stinging nettle are normal edible plants that we used to eat that can be incorporated into your vegetable garden.  Wild food is definitely going to be the most important change most people can make to their lives because of the economic, health and self-empowering benefits.
    A revolution back in time when life was more fun and food was free. We all have freedom of choice here. We can keep shopping at supermarkets because? Or we can set ourselves down one of the paths to freedom: wildly unimaginably good food for the taking. The economic side of wild food is very important. Low wage earners are being left behind the speeding millionaires who can afford to buy everything. We need to wake up to the freedom this can bring: not servitude.  Getting back to nature: yes we have left it. Feeling and knowing the rhythms of the seasons and motions of the planets. Back to our own organic selves that were born out of dust and are going back to it. Cosmic dust like sprinkles of sunlight that embed into our consciousness of self.  Wages have reduced a lot since 1972. $100 in 1972 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $574.18 in 2016, a difference of $474.18 over 44 years. 
    Health is one huge expense these days. Eating more healthy food will reduce your health costs substantially. The crazy impact of Monsanto on food production and consumption is a disaster. Food is not safe to eat if it is GMO and has been sprayed with Glyphosate. Does Monsanto care, now Bayer, no, not all?  The sicker you are the more money their subsidiary companies can make selling chemo and other drugs.  These companies are becoming billionaires selling you poisonous food and then treating you with dubious medicine at best. Interestingly, President Trump has signed an executive order reducing regulations on the development of the GMO industry as of June 2019. He is making a mistake.  Many people in Great Britain are worried about leaving the European Union and being stuck doing trade deals with America’s dirty food.

    Wild food offers relief from all this madness in oh so many ways.

 Hibiscus

Hibiscus acetosella, Cranbery Hibiscus

You need to be careful, recognizing the right Hibiscus. When you do, you will  have a great addition to your Wild Foods. Cranberry hibiscus possesses a rare combination of beauty, utility, and edibility. Once established, this tropical hibiscus is a landscaping standout, requires little to no tending or irrigation, and is edible.  
   The cranberry hibiscus, which has dark red leaves that provide a mildly tart taste, a la cranberries. Provides amazing color to salads. The flowers can also be used to make fancy lemonade.  They can reach up to about two meters and will get dense if pruned regularly. They like full sun but can deal with a little shade, prefer slightly acidic soil, and tolerate a little drought.
   A very nutritious vegetable; the leaves are high in vitamins B3 (niacin), B2, A, and C. It is high in protein and an excellent source of antioxidants and anthocyanins. The young leaves are known for their pleasant tart flavor, eaten either raw or cooked. As the leaves contain oxalic acid, cranberry hibiscus should not be eaten in large amounts – e.g. as the only raw green vegetable in a salad – or more than once a week. Unlike Aibika, it is not particularly mucilaginous. Cranberry hibiscus leaves retain their color after being cooked. Flowers are used to make teas or other drinks where they contribute color rather than taste. In Central America, the flowers are combined with ice, sugar, lemon, or lime juice and water to make a purple lemonade.
 

Linden Trees
Tilia Americana

   This tree is an absolute supermarket full of delicious food. Linden also referred to as basswood, Honey-Tree, Bee Tree or Lime Tree, is a common deciduous tree found throughout the northern hemisphere.  It’s easily identified by its utterly gigantic heart-shaped leaves (6-8 inches across) and intensely fragrant flowers. Adult trees have fissured bark and can reach 6 feet in diameter.  All parts of the plant are edible including the leaves, flowers, seeds, sap, and bark.
   The leaves of linden trees, especially young ones, are viable substitutes for lettuce in sandwiches and salads. a
The leaves of this plant are edible all spring, summer, and fall.  They taste like lettuce but have a mucilaginous texture. Young leaves are the most tender but older leaves are still good to eat.  They make a great lettuce substitute in salads or sandwiches.  Lindens are medium to large trees so there is no shortage of edible leaves. There are not a lot of large trees that have edible leaves without toxins, a bad flavor or a tough texture.  Linden flowers can be eaten raw but more commonly are made into a linden flower tea. They are also a very popular flower for honey bees. Linden tree honey has a distinct flavor that makes the honey more desirable. Linden fruits can be eaten at different stages of growth, but they are small and hard with little or no flavor.
   Medicinally, they’re most commonly used as a sedative and in the treatment of anxiety, similar to how chamomile is used today.  They’re also used in the treatment of colds and flu, as well as respiratory issues.  The flowers are sedative, expectorant, diuretic and antiseptic

Wild Betel Leaves
Piper betel

   Betel leaves are a bit like vine leaves and are used for similar reasons. Betel leaves contain many curative and healing health benefits. The leaves are full of vitamins like vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and carotene and are a great source of calcium. Often referred to as a paan leaf. it is believed that the components present in betel leaves can reduce the level of sugar in the blood, thus treating diabetes. Betel leaves can be used effectively by people who are trying to shed weight. It increases the metabolic rate of the body.

   Chewing betel leaves is known to prevent oral cancer as it helps maintain the levels of ascorbic acid in the saliva. All you need to do is boil 10 to 12 betel leaves for a few minutes and add honey to the boiled water. Drinking this on a daily basis can help.
   Betel leaves, when applied over a wound and bandaged, can heal a wound and accelerate the healing process. They are also widely used in Ayurveda for treating boils. If you are suffering from a severe headache, betel leaves can come to your rescue.
   A traditional Thai recipe, Miang kham, is made from wrapping various ingredients into wild piper leaves composing a single bite parcel.  Each leaf-wrapped parcel hs a lot of flavors and richness, textures, aromas and sensations. Fresh green peppery wild betel leaves with nutty roasted peanuts and crispy roasted coconut, with savory dry shrimp, diced shallots, small ginger cubes with a warm bite, sour and bitter with unpeeled lime cubes.

     The habit of chewing on leaf parcels is still common practice along the winding Horse Road trade routes, which carry dry and fermented tea leaves from Yunnan in southwest China, crossing Laos and Burma on their way to the west.

   Tea leaves are steamed and then left to ferment in large baskets. They are rolled into small balls, and put into the mouth; tucked between the cheek and the tongue, these pouches of energy are sucked and chewed, delivering doses of caffeine and liveliness into one’s bloodstream.

   It is not uncommon to see rolls where dry shallots, chilies, peanuts, and lime are added, perhaps to offset the rough, unripe bitterness.

 Alfalfa
Alfalfa, also known as lucerne or Medicago sativa, is a plant that has been grown as feed for livestock for hundreds of years.

   When I was a teenager some of my friends said it was good to drink Alfalfa tea because it made your body less acidic. Its seeds or dried leaves can be taken as a supplement, or the seeds can be sprouted and eaten in the form of alfalfa sprouts. 60 grams of alfalfa seeds per day could decrease total blood cholesterol levels. It has deep roots and can grow quite tall making it very resilient. The leaves and young shoots are the only parts that you can eat raw.
    Alfalfa leaf contains essential vitamins including the entire spectrum of B-vitamins, A, D, E, and K. Alfalfa Leaf is a source of iron, niacin, biotin, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Alfalfa is a source of chlorophyll. Compared to other plants, alfalfa leaf is very high in protein and amino acids.

    Alfalfa has been used and appreciated all over the world for centuries. A comprehensive list of its benefits would be very long, but common benefits attributed to alfalfa include: detoxifying the urinary tract, purifying the blood and liver. It has a strong alkaline effect on the body and promotes bowel movement regularity and healthy hydration. It eases general digestive problems and contains high levels of enzymes for food digestion and assimilation. It lowers bad cholesterol. It supports healthy blood sugar levels, especially when taken with manganese.
    The leaves can be brewed into a tea, although the taste is somewhat bland it does combine well with other teas. As a nutritious food, the herb is mild in flavor and works well in salads, soups, casseroles, or more.

Broadleaf Plantain
Plantago major, Broadleaf plantain, 
white man’s foot, or greater plantain,

 

   Plantain is a famous herb in Europe. A species of the plantain family, Broadleaf Plantain is rich in vitamins A, C and K. The leaves are green and oval-shaped with thick-stemmed leaves that meet at a base.

The entire plant is edible but it recommended that the leaves be eaten raw while they are young and tender.
The leaves are edible as a salad green when young and tender, but they quickly become tough and fibrous as they get older. The older leaves can be cooked in stews. The leaves contain calcium and other minerals, with 100 grams of plantain containing approximately the same amount of vitamin A as a large carrot. The seeds are so small that they are tedious to gather, but they can be ground into a flour substitute or extender.
   Plantago major is one of the most abundant and widely distributed medicinal crops in the world. A poultice of the leaves can be applied to wounds, stings, and sores in order to facilitate healing and prevent infection. The active chemical constituents are Aucubin (an anti-microbial agent), Allantoin (which stimulates cellular growth and tissue regeneration), and mucilage (which reduces pain and discomfort). Plantain has astringent properties, and a tea made from the leaves can be ingested to treat diarrhea and soothe raw internal membranes.

Forget Me Not
Myosotis Sylvatica

   These flowers are everywhere and worth a try. Forget-Me-Not flowers are minuscule, tender and usually blue in color. They are more common during Spring. The flowers are the edible part of the plant and are indeed a safe choice for a snack or in a salad.
   If you haven’t used chemicals then you can add them to your salad or make candies with them. Not all varieties are edible some are toxic like the broadleaf and the Chinese forget me not. Be very careful and always check.
   You can also make your own tea. It is a well-known variety of purple flowers and it is caffeine-free. When you drink this tea the blood pressure will be reduced, it can also help you relax and sleep well. Finally, if you are on a diet you can drink it to help you have a balanced diet.
   Forget me not can be used as a herbal medicine too. It can be used to stop bleeding (use it externally), as a remedy for eye conditions. It also cures nosebleeds, it improves lung, stomach, and kidney functioning.

Elderberry
Sambucis Nigra

    Elderberry is now available everywhere as an anti viral for the flu, especially for children. Found mostly in temperate to subtropical regions of the world, many species are widely cultivated to be used as ornaments. However, the Elderberry’s flower, as well as its fruit, is edible, although, the raw fruit does not yield a favorable taste. The fruit, when ripe, is a purplish-black color. All other parts of this bush are toxic.
    Elderberry is a very good remedy for the flu. Slowly cook a bunch of ripe berries in water with honey or brown sugar until it is a good syrup. You can see Elderberry Syrup for sale on the internet and there also a lot of recipes on how to make it. Here is one recipe.

Ingredients
3½ cups water, 2/3 cup black elderberries (dried, or 1 1/3 cups fresh or frozen), 2 TBSP ginger (grated), 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves and 1 cup of raw honey.

Instructions
Pour the water into a medium saucepan and add the elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. Remove from heat and let cool until it is cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl. Discard the elderberries and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add the honey and stir well. When the honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a  mason jar or 16-ounce glass bottle of some kind. Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties. Some sources recommend taking only during the week and not on the weekends to boost immunity.
   In folk medicine, the dried berries or juice are used to treat influenza, infections, sciatica, headaches, dental pain, heart pain, and nerve pain, as well as a laxative and diuretic Additionally, the berries can be cooked and used to make juice, jams, chutneys, pies, and elderberry wine. The flowers are often boiled with sugar to make a sweet syrup or infused into the tea. They can also be eaten fresh in salads.

 

Amaranth
Amaranthus tricolor (a.k.a. tampala)

    This  plant is very yummy in salads. Amaranth is attractive (especially the variety ‘tiger leaf’) and produces leaves that taste much like spinach when cooked.  Though it will grow well in the summer, stay alert to the likely arrival of small caterpillars that can devastate it within a few days. Growing amaranth is possible all year round in the tropics.  Amaranth is a very nutritious leaf and grain and it makes yummy spinach and nice salad greens.
   Amaranth seeds have been used since ancient times in Central and Latin America and in the countries of the Himalayas. Amaranth leaves are used across Asia.  Compared to other grains amaranth seeds have a much higher content of the minerals calcium, magnesium, iron and of the amino acid Lysine. (Grains are usually low in that, corn has none. Most people get their Lysine from meat.) Amaranth seeds are also high in potassium, zinc, Vitamin B and E and can contain over 20% protein (depending on the variety). Amaranth leaves are nutritionally similar to beets, Swiss chard, and spinach, but are much superior. For example, amaranth leaves contain three times more calcium and three times more niacin (vitamin B3) than spinach leaves. (Or twenty times more calcium and seven times more iron than lettuce, which simply isn’t all that nutritious…).
   Local farmer’s markets may offer bunches of amaranth greens, but those don’t keep at all so you’d have to use them quickly. It’s much easier to grow amaranth and cut it

Summary

   I have to stop somewhere because there are thousands of edible leaves, flowers, and seeds on this amazing planet. This book is not meant to be a compendium or comprehensive. It is meant to introduce you to the wonderful world of food available in nature: not supermarkets. As I said earlier there are plenty of good reasons to eat wild food and the top four are for health,  survival, save money and self-sufficiency.  Probably the very best reason is tuning into nature instead of your iPhone. I have included some links to books and websites. Some of them are comprehensive and well researched. You have a few options about obtaining the food. The first one is to research what grows wild (or in people’s gardens) near your home. The second is to buy seeds and grow what you need and the third is to connect with other people and share resources.
    Monsanto (now Bayer)  has taken over a lot of the world’s seeds and is now selling their own patented  GMO modified, Glyphosate-resistant varieties at ever increasing costs to farmers. America has a poor record of supporting its people against the tyranny of Multi-National companies. Europe has a better record for doing what’s right like declaring Monsanto’s Glyphosate dangerous for health.
   Food should be sacrosanct. It is part of creation and as such should be left untouched and as natural as it was when formed out of space.  If you believe in God then you must be God’s custodian of creation on earth and take good care of the animals, plants, and environment. Glyphosate is a labor saving technique that puts more money in the pockets of farmers and lots of poison in the mouths of consumers.
    Why do some people care and others not? I think it is because of how our minds were trained to think. If your father is a Glyphosate man then you will be too. I often used to think that new advances in science would help the world like solar panels and wind turbines. But no!  All the new genetically modified food and animals are yet to come: maybe robots and mass genetic food will arrive around the same time giving us no chance to fight back against a new wave of TECH.
   Step by step. If you are not sure what to do next and feel a little overwhelmed then I suggest you start 1 by 1. Introduce just one or two new wild foods into your diet as you source them like amaranth and New Zealand spinach. These two foods are not actually wild as nature wild but wild as in weed wild around the neighborhood and specialty market places.
   Most of these foods are herbal as well so you can eat them when you feel sick, depending on your illness.
    The internet has everything you need to teach you about “wild foods” or “edible leaves”, “edible seeds” and “edible flowers”. Use these keywords and you will find many books for sale on Amazon and many websites; some of them are extensive.
   I suggest again that you start with 10 plants including the ones with edible leaves or seeds or roots, or flowers. Adopt them into your daily eating routines and then another 10 and so on until you have most of your food coming from the “wild side”.
    The first 5 could be in your own garden and the other 5 in nearby woodlands and farms. If you don’t have any “wild food” then you could plant some watercress, New Zealand Spinach,  Amaranth, Elderberries and Hibiscus to get the ball rolling.
    As you have probably already guessed I am not an expert on wild foods. I have had some experience with eating wild foods in different countries to know that they are a wonderful option to supermarket food and they are meant to be eaten by us considering they were created for our every need. Cliché it is: but humans should never play God. I don’t think we are in the same league;  unless we have been inspired by a greater force to manifest wisdom into the world.
   Every different country in the world and the different cultures inside each country have their own “Wild Food” story to tell. If you live in Australia you could talk to your local Aboriginal tribes about what you can eat. In the U.S. I am sure the Red Indians would have a wealth of information about “Wild Food”.  Hmmm, maybe they could never understand why the white man that invaded their country only eat small beans from a tin can.  The Maoris in New Zealand and the original Hawaiians would be amazing too.  All of Asia eats “Wild Food” everyday for its nutritional goodness, availability and its zero economic impact on their budgets. On to Africa and Europe, the story would be the same. The Italians and Greeks would have some amazing “Wild Foods” to talk about and eat over some red wine.

    Every time I do eat some Ginger Flowers, some Turmeric Root or Holy Basil I feel more healthy and more grounded. Supermarkets are convenient but before and after that, they were super-rich English Businessmen/women in pin-striped suits plotting how to legally steal your hard earned money.    

Thank you for reading this book. I really do hope you got a kick start from it and that your life is better because of it in so many ways.

Roditch.