PHOTOGRAPHS:MATTMUNRO,SIMONBAJADAT’STHEANTITHESISOF
theready-meal,with
nopremixedgloop,no
additives(exceptmaybe
somesoil),andpackagingcourtesy
ofMotherNature.Foragingforfood
andthenmagickingit intoa meal,
isthemostsatisfyingwaytoeat.
Foraginghelpsyoutuneintonature
andthechangingseasonstogain
a sensethatthisishoweatingused
tobe.Plus,there’salsoa cave-person
smugnessinknowingthat,ifallthe
supermarketsdisappearedtomorrow,
youcouldfendforyourself.
Autumnisbonanza-timefor
foragersasfruitsripen,berries
appear,andmushroomssprout
overnightfromthedampground- youneedonlykeepyoureyes
openanda basketattheready.The
seasandriversoffera catchofwild
fish suchas mackereland salmon,
whilethecoastlinecanbecombed
for shellfishand edibleseaweed.
Sometimesa professionalguide
canhelppointyouintheright
directionbut,usually,askinglocals
fortipswillbeenoughtogetyou
harvestingtheregion’sspecialities
fora coupleofhours.Justmakesure
youknowwhatyou’repicking,and
takeonlywhatyouwilleat.Thereare
plentyofothertwo-andfour-legged
foragerswhowillberelying on that
same wild bounty.
Foragingis theultimate
in local,waste-free
dining.Whatbetterway
is thereto understand
a placethanthrough
your stomach?
PLUCKBERRIES
INSWEDEN
TheSwedestakeforagingso
seriouslythatit’swritteninto
theirlaw:allemansrätten
(everyman’srights)grants
permissionto hike,campand
pickberriesonanother’sland,
as longas it’sdonerespectfully.
Simplyheadintothecountry’s
ampleemptyspacesin July
andAugust– thepickof the
cropsarewildstrawberries,
goldencloudberries,
blueberriesandlingonberries
(picturedabove.Remember
o leaveenoughberriesfor
thenextpersonto pick.
FResponsibleTravelruns
a kayaking,foragingandfood
itinerary,lastingfourdays
(£880;responsibletravel.com).SNUFFLEFORTRUFFLES
INITALY
ForItalianforagers,thetartufo
bianco(whitetruffle)is the
HolyGrail,andnowhereis
more synonymous with thisrichlyaromaticfungusthan
Albain northwesternItaly’s
fertilePiedmontregion,long
a strongholdof theSlowFood
movement.To standeven
a slimchanceof findingthese
nuggetsof ‘whitegold’,you
haveto enlisttheexpert
servicesof a trifulau(truffle
hunter)anda well-traineddog
witha noseforthegoodstuff.
Thedifficultyof cultivating
trufflesaddsto theirmystique.
Lateautumnis theseason
forfindingtheprizedwhite
truffles,buriedunderground
in mistywoodsof oak,willow
andpoplar.A truetruffle
hunterneverrevealssecret
spots,andyoumaywalkfor
sometimebeforeyoudig
upa marble-sizedtreasure.
FAlba’stouristoffice
(langheroero.it)arranges
huntsin season,as dothe
ConsorzioTuristicoLanghe
(tartufoevino.it)andthe
NationalTruffleStudy
Centre (tuber.it).PICKHERBSINTHEALPS
Partof thejoyof walkingin
thepasturesandforestsin the
foothillsof theAlpsis that
they’reripewithforaging
potential.Comesummer,the
highpasturesin theAlpsburst
intobloomwithherbsand
flowers.Applemint,mallow,
cornflower,wormwood,sorrel
andyarrowlendinterestto
restaurantmenus,or aredried
to maketeasthatareas prized
fortheirhealth-giving
propertiesas fortheirflavour.
In latespring,at lower
altitudes,everyoneseems
to gocrazyforwildgarlic,
whichis blendedintosauces
andpestos.Pickingbyhand
is a slow,almostmeditative
process– silentapartfromthe
drumof a woodpeckeror the
duskchorusof birdsong.
FIfyou’refeelinglazy,you
canfindforagedherbsandteas
withouthiking;they’reavailable
atfarmers’marketsandon
menus throughout the Alps.Findyoursupper