From fiddleheads to spruce tips, wild food can be adventurous and fun with the right guide. In Eating Wild in Eastern Canada, award winning author and conservationist Jamie Simpson ( Journeys through Eastern Old Growth Forests) shows readers what to look for in the wilds and how and when to collect it.Grouping foods by their most likely foraging locations―forests, fields, and shorelines―and with 50 full colour photographs, identification is made accessible for the amateur hiker, wilderness enthusiast, and foodie alike. Includes historical notes and recipes, cautionary notes on foraged foods' potential dangers, and interviews with wild edible gatherers and chefs. While gathering wild edibles may be instinctive to some, there is an art to digging for soft shelled clams and picking highbush cranberries, and Simpson joyfully explores it in this one of a kind narrative guidebook. Eating Wild in Eastern Canada: A Guide to Foraging the Forests, Fields, and Shorelines
Everyone who likes nature and likes to explore their backyard in eastern Canada should have a copy of this excellent field guide. A good selection of what to find and eat in a variety of habitats. 9781771085984
Jamie Simpson ð 6 characters
Eating Wild in Eastern Canada is a tutorial guide to general foraging with a specific focus on maritime climates and species. Released 23rd May 2018 by Nimbus publishing, it's 184 pages and available in paperback format.
Author Jamie Simpson is a lawyer, activist, and wild food expert with years of experience in foraging in the areas he talks about in the book.
Eating Wild is written clearly in layman's language and is easily accessible for the average reader. The book is built up logically with common sense safety instructions (if you aren't absolutely sure that what you're about to put into your mouth is edible, don't). The author also cautions against over harvesting, a vitally necessary reminder everyone needs to hear.
One thing I loved about the layout was that the chapters aren't sorted into an herbal (as most field guides are), but grouped together in zones. Chapter 1 includes the species to be found in forest and zonal areas, Chapter 2 discusses wet environments like bogs, marshes, rivers, Chapter 3 covers seashores and brackish areas, etc. There's a serviceable bibliography and index at the back of the book. Scattered throughout the text, there are recipes which run the gamut from mild to adventurous. Included in each chapter is an interview or short bio with a restaurateurs or other forager.
The photography is excellent, clear, and supports and explains the text well with regards to which parts of the various plants, fungi, etc are usable and at which time of the year. There are also a number of good photos of finished dishes scattered throughout the book.
This isn't a replacement for a good specific field guide. It's a supporting text, lavishly photographed and with some good recipes.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 9781771085984 Although the book is beautiful, interesting to read and informative, it is not descriptive enough on each plant so I will need another book to actually go out and identify and safely not poison myself. Still pretty interesting its just too vague. 9781771085984 I buy a book to learn what's edible and what's not Getting a warning at pretty much every items that says You should ask someone who is experienced with (item you're picking) to avoid poisonous items makes this book somewhat useless, it's the reason I bought the book
The writing was nice, the only reason it's not a 1 star. 9781771085984 Great book concept, but the follow through not so much. I had assumed through the books title 'Eating wild in eastern Canada A guide to foraging..' that it would have included clear pictures and identifying characteristics of the plant which would have enabled me to also forage to find and use these plants without fear of consuming something poisonous. For instance, Lambs Quarters there is a picture, but the book's paper quality is very poor, and as a result I am left with a newspaper quality picture to aid in identifying the plant. There are no plant characteristics listed in the book, just ways to cook them.
I had anticipated taking the book outdoors on hikes, but as I said the paper is newspaper quality, the pictures are newspaper quality, and the plant characteristics that would allow me to identify the plants are not included in the book. I feel let down. The back cover says that gathering wild edibles is made accessible for the amateur hiker but they have neglected to say that this book does NOT assist in identifying the plants.
So, safe to say that I am disappointed. 9781771085984 Love exploring the woods of South Ontario with this book in my bag. This spring we learned all about ramps, how to harvest them and what to watch for. I look forward to sharing with the family in the future and teaching kids about eating delicacies from the woods. 9781771085984
