By Michelle Gourley
Long before we were absentmindedly plucking our dinner from the shelves in aisle 9, gathering our food was a serious business: one that had everything to do with nature, and nothing to do with money or squeaky grocery carts.
An elder with the Musqueam band of coastal BC, Rose Point possesses a vast culinary knowledge handed down by her ancestors, who had an incredible understanding of the natural world, and used an estimated 500 native plant species as food. Where we might see a tangled jumble of weeds, leaves, and thorny berries, they would see dinner. Within minutes of stepping into the cool forest of UBC’s endowment lands, Rose’s sharp eyes spied countless edible specimens. “Stinging nettles; best in spring. Don’t touch with your bare hands,” she warns. I recoiled on cue from its long green reach. “Look there—sword ferns. They have edible roots, tastes just like licorice.’’ She gestured to a small trio of moss-covered logs. “This is a great spot for oyster mushrooms.”
Rose showed me how to make a horse-tail whisk for stirring a pot, and then, with a few quick folds, a soft, broad thimbleberry leaf was transformed into a tiny basket for berry picking (bio-degradable kitchenware!). She encourages a gentle and respectful manner when embarking on a woodsy walk. “Remember to treat the forest the same way you would walking into your grandmother’s house.”
Sequoia Lesosky is also a knowledgeable foraging guru—as well as co-owner and lead harvester of Wild Edibles in Campbell River. This man could forage himself a meal as the rest of us slap at bugs, wondering who just texted us while our stomachs grumble on. Moving through the forest with light, careful steps while scanning the pinecone-strewn ground for clues, he reads the trees, slope direction, and drainage as easily as most of us read a newspaper. He strongly suggests brushing up on your tree knowledge before setting out; knowing a Douglas Fir from an Alder will greatly increase your foraging success. “You won’t find Chanterelle mushrooms if you are searching in a grove of Alders.”
If you’d like to learn more about identifying and preparing wild foods, lace up your boots and explore nature’s pantry. You can sign up for one of two guided autumn foraging walks that Sequoia is offering the good readers of Edible Vancouver. E-mail him to be put on the list. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
If it’s mushrooms you’re after, contact the Vancouver Mycological Society about joining them for a fungi foray. www.vanmyco.com
Or make a weekend of it. On October 10-11, Deerholme Farm in Duncan hosts a wild mushroom weekend of gourmet feasting and foraging with mycolocist David Arora (author of Mushrooms Demystified and All the Rain Promises and More—a Guide to Western Mushrooms). www.magnorth.bc.ca
If your forage can wait until next spring, Rose Point will be offering wild walks. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Remember:
- Whose land are you on? Is it public or private? Get permission from a resident elder at most institutions.
- What are you looking for? Know your trees and bring that field guide to edible wild plants in BC (but remember that even the best books are no substitute for a wise and experienced human). If you’re not absolutely certain that the plant is edible, don’t take the risk.
- Where are you going? A compass or GPS will keep you on track.
- When you are in the forest, leave it as pristine as you found it.
- Why take more than your share? Forage only what you will use.
Resources
- Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples, Nancy J. Turner
- Edible Wild, Berndt Burgland and Clare E. Bolsby
- Drink in the Wild, Hilary Stewart
- Plants of Coastal British Colombia, Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon
