Wild food and foraging

[beth&rich]

Well, its the last day of August, and autumn seems to have arrived in the UK. I went for a walk this afternoon and there were loads of wild mushrooms (edible...I think), and the blackberries are nearly ripe.

Was just wondering if there's much wild food to be foraged in NZ? Or if it is frowned on?

[kanatakiwi]

I notice lots of people come out on a sunny day after a good rain and get themselves a feed of mushrooms from the park near us.

[Moorf]

I wish I knew more about the wild mushrooms etc here because, as kanatakiwi said, there are heaps of them in the paddocks here, albeit for a short time during the year.

I've often wondered why councils don't plant more nut and fruit trees in public places, so the public could forage fresh when out and about

[Ana&Steve]

www.fungi.co.nz
Hey Helen,
here's a link to check out!

We noticed loads of blackberries growing wild all around Huka Falls in Taupo...if it's public property I wouldn't think a bit of foraging would be a no-no (?)

[migratory birds]

Foraging for wild food? Frowned upon??

Heck no! It's CELEBRATED!!

Here you are. A link to the internationally renowned wild foods festival:
http://www.wildfoods.co.nz/index.cfm/1,51,html/Home

And a fun article on the event:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...hochman&st=nyt

[beth&rich]

Oh my word....huhu grubs. Perhaps a little more wild than I'd imagined!? Nah, try anything once!

Yeah, I wish I knew more about mushrooms - in my Dad's garden, there's a load of big orange ones which are either chanterelles, or something terribly poisonous for which I forget the name! I've looked it up in books but just lack the confidence to take a bite.

[Moorf]

I've looked it up in books but just lack the confidence to take a bite.

That's my problem too - I've sat in front of books and the Internet and despite being "pretty sure" they're safe I can't bring myself to eat them! I need to be desperate and starving methinks!

Beth&Rich - what about mountain oysters?

[wwwdot]

I am a huge fan of foraging in Finland...mom is trying to convince me to move back by quoting the number of ten lire buckets of blueberries and lingonberries (aka the Ikea berry sauce for Brits) she's picked in the forest.

I've often wondered why councils don't plant more nut and fruit trees in public places, so the public could forage fresh when out and about

At least my Kiwi husband is quite eager to keep non-native plants out of the country (well, too late now but can start reversing the trend...) as they, both plants and animals, haven't done much good so far.

[beth&rich]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, not quite sure what a mountain oyster is......but I'm guessing testicles?

Yummity-yum-yum-yum

[JandM]

In France, pharmacists are trained to recognize which fungi are edible - you take a basket of fungi along to the pharmacy, and they'll sort them for you. Are there any experts available like that in NZ?