This is FORAGING
Here we are.
We’re at a crossroads. Not in one, but in all our daily practices, whether it’s about food, clothes or building / decorating a house. We are facing a historic moment when we still have access to much ancient knowledge passed down from generation to generation. But already we must look well after them so we can access them. And some have already been lost. Fortunately, though, we have a few specialists and scientists who return to ancient crafts and practices and others that turn their attention to branches of biology. This way, they make possible the discovery of new things, unknown to the people of the past, because they did not have access to certain modern means.
Foraging occupies an important space in this context.
The modern system easily provides us with any food we need or crave about, at any time of day or night, regardless of the season. A good thing, at first glance: we no longer have to starve or refrain until our favorite fruit/vegetable season comes. But if we spend a little time looking for what the whole agri-food industry of the present represents, what (low) content of nutrients has the food that comes from this modern industry and what other additions of harmful substances are served to us, maybe we would start making other choices or at least looking for alternatives.
What does the word „foraging” means?
This discipline refers to the picking from nature, from spontaneous flora, with different purposes: food, medicinal, decorative, etc.
Foraging is the oldest job in the world. (Yes, you read that right!) The concept is old since the world, only the name is relatively new, being an English word and used internationally, which describes this apparent current. In fact and in practice, foraging is not a current but a basic activity in our evolution. This practice was essential for the human being to survive, and us to be here today.
More recently, great chefs from all over the world have begun to appreciate the potential of these foods from spontaneous flora and gourmet cuisine. Some chefs – some of them even with Michelin stars – have trustworthy people who collect for them and bring them fresh ingredients from the forest that they are using to create spectacular dishes.
Also, in times of crisis, knowing how to pick from the spontaneous flora is what can make the difference between life and death. Those times of war or shortcomings may seem far from us. However, the situation is not the same globally, and some of us have been forced not long ago (or even today) to resort to spontaneous flora picking in order to survive.
It is not necessary to think fatalistic to see the benefits of practicing this activity. Besides the fact that we can take advantage of very nutritious foods and also very rich in minerals and vitamins, the practice has extraordinarily beneficial effects on our state of mind.
What about you? What’s your direction?
Text by Iulia Demeter, IncrEdible