The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them

by Katie Letcher Lyle

Edible wild plants, mushrooms, fruits, and nuts grow along roadsides, amid country fields, and in urban parks. All manner of leafy greens, mushrooms, and herbs that command hefty prices at the market are bountiful outdoors and free for the taking. But to enjoy them, one must know when to harvest and how to recognize, prepare, and eat them. The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts provides everything one needs to know about the most commonly found wild foods―going beyond a field guide's basic description to provide folklore and mouth-watering recipes for each entry, such as wild asparagus pizza, fiddlehead soup, blackberry mousse, and elderberry pie. This fully illustrated guide is the perfect companion for hikers, campers, and anyone who enjoys eating the good food of the earth. With it in hand, nature lovers will never take another hike without casting their eyes about with dinner in mind.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Cookbooks, Plants, Nature, Gardening, Survival

224 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2004

Reviews

[Dvora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, It's so informative and wonderful!! It's also not too big, so I can keep it in my bag and use it to identify all the plants I see :D

[Center For Study Indonesian Food Anthropology · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buku The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts (Panduan Lengkap untuk Tumbuhan Liar yang Dapat Dimakan, Jamur, Buah-buahan,dan Kacang). Ditulis oleh Katie Letcher Lyle yang merupakan seorang penulis lebih dari 20 buku dan artikel, dia adalah seorang guru, penyanyi dan pembicara. 

Buku ini sangat bermanfaat bagi pada etnobotanist, antropolog etnopangan atau bahkan seorang awam yang menyukai penjelajahan, kemudian memiliki ketertarikan untuk eksplorasi tanaman liar namun berpotensi untuk bisa dikonsumsi dan buku ini melengkapinya dengan resep yang sederhana, sehingga bisa dicoba jika menemukan komoditas atau jenis tumbuhan yang menyerupai. 

Diawali dengan prakata tentang tumbuhan yang secara resmi dikenal dengan nama genus dan spesiesnya, kecenderungan nomenklatur botani adalah ke arah keseragaman, nama tanaman berubah sepanjang waktu. Memisahkan spesies dan varietas masih merupakan ilmu yang belum sempurna. Masalahnya bukan penamaan, tetapi mengidentifikasi.

Bagian isi dalam bab buku ini ditulis sangat indah sekali dengan membubuhkan quote dari seorang Henry David Thoreau tentang : "Sebagian besar dari kita masih berhubungan dengan ladang , syaratnya asal kita sebagai navigator untuk menuju ke pulau-pulau yang belum ditemukan di laut. Setiap sore kita dapat menemukan buah baru di sana, yang akan mengejutkan kita pada keindahan kemanisannya". 


Bahasan seperti berbagai komoditas dijelaskan dengan bahasa yang santai, disertai dengan foto, sehingga mudah dibaca dan dimengerti. 

Beberapa ulasannya seperti :

1. Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) mungkin namanya berasal dari kata aspe yang berarti "kasar," atau aspergere, yang berarti "menyebar." Sudah lama dikenal di seluruh Appalachia sebagai sparrowgrass, atau sparrergrass.

2. Chicory yang merupakan chicouryeh dalam bahasa arab, namun bangsa Romawi mengenal tanaman itu sebagai cichorium, yang pada gilirannya diambil dari bahasa Yunani. 

3. Dandelion(Taraxacum officinale) terkenal dapat menghiasi area berumput dan ladang di mana-mana. 

4. Fiddleheads adalah gulungan kecambah dari beberapa jenis pakis yang berbeda. Yang
paling sering dimakan di Amerika adalah pakis kayu manis (Osmunda cinnamomea), pakis pakis (Pteridium aquilinum atau "bulu elang"), dan pakis burung unta (Pteretis struthiopteris atau "berbulu rumit").

5. Mustard bawang putih (Alliaria petiolata) sekarang hadir sepanjang tahun, dan
memang tetap hijau dan dapat dimakan sepanjang musim dingin. 

6. Land cress (Barbarea vulgaris atau B. verna), anggota keluarga sawi, memiliki nama Latin yang menghina ganda: Itu "biadab" dan "vulgar", dan nama spesies alternatifnya menyiratkan "orang barbar musim semi".

7. Milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca ) adalah sayuran awal musim panas yang lezat, dan memang begitu
sangat diabaikan di dunia beradab.

8. Pokeweed (Phytolacca decandra atau P. americana) juga dikenal sebagai poke, skoke, garget, dan pigeonberry. Nama Latinnya berarti “tanaman merah dengan sepuluh benang sari.

9. Purslane, ramuan pembangkit tenaga listrik yang juga dikenal sebagai "pussley," yang nama aslinya adalah Portulaca oleracea, muncul di trotoar kami di seluruh kota dan ditinggalkan
sebidang tanah sekeras tanah liat di seluruh wilayah.

10. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) dan wood sorrel (Oxalis montana) adalah dua tanaman yang tidak berkerabat. Tanaman yang tumbuh di pekarangan dan padang rumput di mana-mana, tampak seperti anak panah.

11. (Rumex) dan semanggi atau trefoil (Oxalis). Oxalis adalah kata Yunani untuk “kayu
coklat kemerah-merahan, "karena rumex adalah nama Latin untuk" coklat kemerah-merahan.

12. Jelatang yang menyengat (Urtica dioica) adalah makanan hijau liar yang lezat, makanan yang tidak biasa karena mereka pasti merasa beracun, dengan ribuan jarum suntik kecil di daun dan batang yang menusuk kulit Anda ketika sedang menyikatnya. 

13. Selada air (Nasturtium officinale) adalah salah satu sayuran liar kami yang paling enak dan populer. Nama genus berasal dari nasus, "hidung", dan torsi, "memutar." Sepertinya ini adalah deskripsi komik tentang apa yang dilakukan seseorang kapan berhadapan dengan bau nasturtium.

14. Bawang Liar dan Bawang Putih, Genus Allium (Latin untuk "bawang putih") adalah yang besar, dan setidaknya termasuk selusin ramuan pedas dari Belahan Bumi Utara. Semua bawang atau yang berbau bawang putin dalam akan menimbulkan bau dan rasa.

15. Chickweed juga disebut dengan nama botani Stellaria (mungkin karena bentuk bunganya yang seperti bintang). Ini adalah tanaman liar yang baik untuk diketahui dan dapat dimakan.

16. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum), juga disebut Scotch thistle, sudah berakhir jika di daerah Virginia di musim semi.

17. Cleavers (Galium aparium), Di musim semi, mereka tumbuh setinggi mungkin 24 inci di Virginia, di hutan, atau di bagian teduh halaman belakang saya, dan di "semak lembab".

18. Lemon balm memiliki daun scallopy yang berbau lemon kuat. Itu tumbuh dalam kelimpahan di sekitar di mana dulu satu tanaman tumbuh.

19. Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) adalah salah satu dari banyak spesies serupa, dengan jeruk,
bunga berbintik kuning, atau kemerahan.

20. Kudzu dibawa ke negara ini untuk menanam pakan ternak, dengan konsekuensi yang tidak diinginkan—setiap cabang dan pucuk dapat tumbuh dan tanaman dapat bertunas jutaan pucuk dalam satu musim.

Itu hanya sebagian isi buku dari catatan penulis pada komoditas liar, masih banyak lagi yang penulis tulis, gambarkan yang disertai foto dan resep sederhananya. 

[Sebadiaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Covers a wide range of topics but not very useful. The images are not really designed to help identification (nor particularly pretty), and there are way too many recipes. I did like the history/etymology sections and the periodic anecdotes, I also felt the author was really knowledgeable, so it was fine to read; I just would not say it was handy for finding or identifying anything.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars — Useful information but the text was full of humble brags, superiority complexes, diet culture, cultural appropriations, and micro aggressions.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t recommend this as a “complete” guide, as it never so much mentions pawpaws, my favorite fruit to forage, past the intro! I’d prefer more photos or line drawings, especially for a book that purports to teach mushrooms. Otherwise, it’s got some fun (and sometimes questionable) facts I wouldn’t have otherwise learned.

Some sections could do with editing, some of the information is repeated in the same page as though it hadn’t been mentioned. And importantly, I do think the writing didn’t age well, with light racism sprinkled throughout — the assumption that the reader’s skin is white on page 1; lots of mentions of what Native Americans “used to” do, often without acknowledging their ongoing contributions; and a recipe for which the author won a national award, which she “borrowed” from her grandparent’s Black maid, Lizzie (who at times is left unnamed).

[Kona Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love foraging. A refreshing walk in nature, and free food; what's not to like? It also helps that I have always been curious about plants. As a child, I would nag every older person around me into teaching me the names of the plant they knew. I am always on the lookout for books on foraging to increase my knowledge. That's how I came across this book. I loved how she attached recipes with each plant. Although it's not a complete guide as the title claims, it's a pretty good book for beginners.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This shouldn't be your only foraging book, but it is a really good one, and I love how she offers history, recipes, etc. There's no mention of look alikes like some foraging books offer (i.e., this looks like this plant that's deadly so keep an eye out for this), but lots of great info on how to prep and find. Really enjoyed reading this.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Super informative and filled with charming little stories from the author's life - not to mention a plethora of interesting recipes for nearly every foraged food item she writes about. I enjoyed every single page of this book!

[Sara Heitmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book. The author’s joy and enthusiasm for foraging and sharing her knowledge with others is delightful and contagious. I love her writing style and was often giggling or reading passages out loud to my partner.

[Sparrow McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that it has many recipes and pictures so I can understand what to look for, but the bulk of the recipes are for salads. I’m unfortunately not a salad person. I do want to try making the blueberry coffee cake, the black raspberry mousse, and blackberry jelly.

[Nomski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although more of a reference than a read-straight-through book, I still loved reading some of the recipes for things I never knew I could forage 😊

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its informative
but color pictures would be nice

[Kyja Wilburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview to get a compete beginner excited, but not good for using while trying to forage.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good basic review to start with.

[Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fascinating, I love that she included folklore and recipes. BUT it is very Eastern US focused. Makes me want to move to the Shenandoah Valley for a couple years for a "foraging fellowship."

[Michelle Smart · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. It's trying to be an overall guide, but I've found that local, specialized guides are the only type that will be really useful.

[Marie Zuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

If it was me and this book during an apocalypse, I bake a lovey pie with ingredients I didn't have, and with berries that may or may not be poisonous....then die.

[Cabracrazy18 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you are already semi-confident at identifying the plants listed. It has interesting information about each plant such as the history, origin and lore. It gives a short description of what it looks like and what habitat and season to look for it in. I also LOVE that it gives you two or three recipes for each edible plant because I often have identified edible plants only to then go, 'now what?' concerning preparing them. However, there are only a handful of colored photographs and most plants only have a small black and white drawing accompanying them. Overall and excellent book, but not a stand-alone book for identifying edible plants.

[Stevie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall useful guide for the United States, a broad territory.
It could use a better organizational format emphasizing location. It's not compact or succinct enough to act as a field guide. It's a solid introduction but frankly, I don't trust mushrooms or red berries enough to rely on this book when chances of poisoning are grave and very real.

[WitchHaven Apothecary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful, informative read. A must have for any avid forager. Very pleased!