Why use wild herbs in cooking

Edible wild herbs grow in meadows, on the edge of orchards and paths. They are tasty spontaneous plants rich in active ingredients. Let’s learn how to use them in cooking.

Versatile and tasty wild herbs purify and stimulate the body. Our ancestors knew this well and used wild herbs a lot, but over the years this habit has changed. Maybe because we’re accustomed to eat the same things: nowadays, some thirty plants cover 95% of global food requirements. Eating spontaneous plants increases the range of nutrients and other beneficial substances that we take through food and allows us to rediscover the flavours of ancient times that are surprisingly tasty.

 

Here are some of the most common wild plants that can be used in cooking.

 

Nettle

nettle wild herbs
Nettle leaflets are boiled and used to prepare risottos, frittatas and quiches

It is rich in amino acids, proteins, mineral salts, vitamins. It is cooked in the same way as spinach but get your gloves on when you touch it.

 

Verdolaga

verdolaga
Verdolaga © http://marzipanmom.blogspot.it

It grows in damp and sunny places. Its tender leaves are juicy and fleshy and are good both raw or cooked in salads. It’s a great source of vitamin C, it’s refreshing and depurative and keeps cholesterol levels under control.

 

Lungwort

lungwort wild herbs
Lungwort © http://www.giardinometropolitano.com/

It has leaves with white spots and is excellent to prepare soups. The fresh juice of its leaves contains a large amount of vitamin A and C. The plant is harvested before it blooms.

 

Dandelion

dandelion wild herbs
Dandelion leaflets are very tasty in salads

Its raw or cooked leaflets purify the body, provide it with vitamins, protect the liver and brighten up the skin. Its flower buds are pickled like the capers.

 

Wood violet

wild violets herbs cooking
Wild violets are not exclusively ornamental, they lower inflammation and are useful in case of cough © https://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/tag/edible-flowers

It has scented violet flowers that are harvested as soon as they bloom and added without stalk to salads or used to prepare tasty ice cream. They can be dried in a well-aired, dark and warm place and kept in a glass pot in a dark place.

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