From the coastline to the inland countryside, foraging is an age old method of ingredient gathering for many cooks and has more recently grown in popularity. However, is there much thought put into the risks of this revived pass time?
Business or Pleasure
Some choose to forage for leisure and others forage for commercial reasons, perhaps for their restaurant or café. Making the most of the local wildlife and using unusually named plants, such as Ribwort and Hairy Bittercress, proves for the invention of exciting and innovative dishes.
Urban Gold Dust
With many arguing that over-picking greedy foragers are leading to damage in delicate eco-systems, especially in cities where wildlife is gold dust, could it be doing more harm than good? Considering rookie foragers might be uneducated on the perils of foraging, there could be further implications to watch out for.
Do your Homework
It is important to be clued up on which plants are fit for human consumption. With such a wide variety of edible and non-edible plants out there, it is a crucial must to be in the know or the outcomes could be fatal. Moreover, it is also necessary to consider whether the plant is endangered. The picking of wild plants is illegal when executed without permission and even more than that, the picking of protected (endangered) wild plants is also an illegal act and can land you in deeper trouble.
Unique
Despite the risks, foraging can be a fun alternative to your usual shopping trip, giving your meals a unique pull factor. If you are willing to become clued up on the do’s and don’ts, why not give it a go? Living in a city does not make the activity impossible as foraging can be possible in many urban environments.
Might you be interested in doing your own foraging, there are many informative guides online which can advise you on what you need to know, such as http://www.wildfooduk.com.