Through this interview with Amy Rankine, a forager and Scottish gastronomist, we delve into the knowledge of a practice belonging to rural life that is becoming very well-known: Foraging.
First of all, I ask how his journey began: "I was fortunate to grow up in a delightful rural village with a large forest just a few minutes' walk from home. We spent a lot of time in nature, and my mother taught me what she knew about plants and trees, while my father taught me about garden plants and cultivation techniques. This is the foundation of everything I know, but only as an adult, when I returned to Scotland from Manchester, did I start seriously applying my knowledge. I often went to the local pub in the evening, and it was there that a friend and I met an avid mushroom forager, who taught us a lot about the local varieties and sparked my interest in foraging. As with many things in life, the pub is the answer." - We laugh, we laugh.
But what is it really about? It is talked about more and more, as if it were a trend that has traveled from the northern countries to our tables, among forager chefs like René Redzepi of "Noma" in Copenhagen and trends on Instagram, but in reality:
Foraging is nothing more than the evolution of a practice.
Common in the times of our ancestors, called alimurgia (from the Latin alimenta urgentia, subsistence in case of urgency). That is, the art of being able to feed oneself with wild herbs and food, foods that grow spontaneously in nature and are collected without undergoing transformations. Alimurgia was already being talked about in the 1700s, and until a good part of the 1800s it was very common among those who could not afford cultivated vegetables and grains, such as wheat, which were often reserved for the wealthier classes. A poor food, therefore, recently rediscovered because it has been understood how wild plants, flowers, herbs, and especially berries, are rich in beneficial phytocomplexes.
As Amy explains: "Last year, I participated in a project in the United Kingdom that focused on the impacts of a diet based on wild foods on health. Wild food often has a higher nutrient density, in terms of micronutrients, compared to cultivated food. Additionally, consuming a wider range of plants is beneficial for the gut microbiota, as it significantly increases the number of bacterial species present." Foraging is within everyone's reach; you just need to start gradually and be aware of the varieties of wild plants that grow in the area you intend to 'forage'.
"There are cultural barriers that need to be overcome," Amy continues, "and various myths or popular legends that often discourage people from practicing it. No special equipment is required, but it is necessary to know what can be eaten and what must definitely be avoided, as well as to know where it is legal to gather them. My advice is to start with easily identifiable and familiar plants. Most people recognize a dandelion, and all parts of the plant are not only edible but also delicious. This definitely makes it a great starting point. There are also courses or specific manuals that teach how to identify plants, but the most important thing is to start cautiously, without blindly trusting the mobile 'apps' that can be helpful but can also make mistakes. My motto is: "if you don't know what it is, don't put it in your mouth."
Then he continues: "Foraging is truly a boon for mental health. It requires concentration, and this allows you to connect with the environment, with the living ecosystem, becoming a part of it. In this way, you become more in tune with the seasons and are better able to understand the structure of local habitats."
We are thus compelled to slow down the pace of life and consumption.
To be more aware of what we eat and to have a more sustainable relationship with food, a topic Amy has always been interested in, as evidenced by her degree in Food Science. In the past, she did not question industrial production methods, but this approach has changed dramatically over time, partly due to her involvement with the Scottish branch of Slow Food and partly due to her master's in Gastronomy, but especially thanks to foraging.
"The more I learn, the more I realize how far away we have become from what we eat. I think the worst thing I've ever seen was an orange, whole but peeled, in a plastic container. Wild food is the antithesis of this. Not only do you learn about the plant during its life cycle, but you also understand how a plant can be transformed into food because you are the one doing this work. Some foods can be eaten raw, but others may require specific cooking to be consumed safely. I think this scares many people because we are used to having everything prepared."
