For years I’ve been hoping to find a good patch of wild Cattail (aka Bulrush, aka Typha spp.). It’s one of the most calorically dense wild vegetables in the northern hemisphere . . . meaning, you could actually fill yourself up on it! Unlike all the wild greens which tend to work more as a side dish or a garnish. Most folks will be familiar with the flowering part, which kinda looks like a big fat cigar. This plant grows in marshy wet places, and I have often seen it in ponds on the side of the road, growing in very questionable water.
Do not eat this plant if it’s growing in poor water!
Also, do not confuse this plant with the toxic Yellow Iris! I learned that lesson the hard way (and also mildly poisoned my wife . . . sorry about that, Brigid!)
But if you find a good wild patch of Cattail, take note, because not only will this plant fill up your belly, but it also tastes amazing! Very mild, somewhere between artichoke heart and cucumber, with a nice crispy crunch. And that gooey gel that comes out as you peel off the outer layers, getting to the edible ‘heart’? That gel is very much like Aloe Vera gel . . . you can rub it into your skin and it’s great for soothing burns. And the pollen from the newly formed flowers can apparently be collected and used as a flour . . . to be sure, I’ll be revisiting this Cattail patch countless times in the years to come.
Thank you, Cattail Gods!
18 авг 2021
