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Welcome to the Celtnet guide to wild foods. As this recipe site has grown it has become obvious that to allow people to replicate some of the more ancient recipes on this site (especially from the Ancient, Roman and Medieval periods it is necessary to list modern alternatives but also to produce a guide so that the curious can find the original (often wild) ingredients for themselves. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these potentially useful and often forgotten wild foods together into one place. To use this guide simply click on the first letter of your term above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the terms. You may well find something that surprises you!
This page covers wild foods beginning with the letter 'D' and includes both common and scientific names.
Below, you will find an example wild food entry produced randomly from our database:
Wild Food Entry For: Ground ElderThis is the description page for Ground Elder (Aegopodium podagraria) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Ground Elder.  Ground Elder, Aegopodium podagraria (also known as Goutweed, Herb Gerard, Bishop's Weed, Parson's Weed and Snow-in-the-mountain) is a hairless perennial weed in the Apiaceae (Umbelliferae or carrot) family. It grows rapidly and attains a height of about 1m. It's range covers most of Europe, western Asia and Siberia, though it was probably introduced into Britain by the Romans. The leaves are multi-lobed, with three lobes at the tip and are either green or variegated with white borders. The plant's common name of Ground Elder derives from the superficial similarity of the Ground Elder's leaves to that of the tru Elder, Sambucus nigra, though they are totally unrelated. It was introduced into Britian as an edible plant by the Romans and was cultivated as a food crop and medicinal herb in the Middle Ages where it was mainly used as a food that could counteract gout, one of the effects of the rich foods eaten by monks, bishops and the high-born at this time. It prefers damp, shady, conditions (which is why it's a common hedgerow plant) but it will growin in any soil. Indeed, it is extremely invasive spreading rapidly via it's colonial rootstock. Once established it can be very difficult to eradicate because any small piece of root left in the ground can regrow. The leaves of the plant can be used as a foodstuff and are best collected when young and before the plant has come into flower (after that point the leaves become strongly laxative!). They can be used raw or cooked and have an unusual tangy, rather aromatic, flavour — a little like dandelion without the sharpness; on the way to sorrel without the lemony-ness. This plant is definitely and acquired taste and most who try the plant do not like it at the first taste. Most simply, the leaves can be cooked as a spinach but young leaves can also be used in salads, soups and stocks. The young shoots make a very acceptable substitute for spinach. It is still commonly used as a potherb in Scandinavia and is used as a vegetable in Latvia and Russia. Recipes Utilizing Ground Elder Ground Elder Omelette |
You can also use the search box below to find the wild food of your choice. You can use the common name or the scientific name or any text you choose:
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If you're looking for a particular recipe, or a recipe using a particular ingredient or set of ingredients, why not try my recipe search facility. You can even use a combination of period and ingredient such as 'Elizabethan Lamb' or 'medieval eggs'.
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