Wild Thing: Foraging for Dinner a Trend with Sustainable Bite

In the land of the rich and the home of the free, why are America’s trendiest restaurants and specialty markets crafting fresh dishes featuring ingredients sourced from forests, parkway medians, back yards and parks? Don’t blame it on the economy — unconventional morsels make menus pop, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Those who embrace sustainable, local and truly organic food sing the praises (both nutritionally and taste bud wise) of supping on pristine plants that possess the powerfully pungent flavor that Mother Nature intended, long before GMOs and industrialized farming got into the mix. If you haven’t yet heard about foraging — the fine art of plucking wild eats from earthy locales (much in the same way that deer, foxes and squirrels do) — it’s only a matter of time. This dining trend has gained so much momentum that it wouldn’t be surprising if our nation’s supermarkets and fast food joints started to follow suit.

As it stands, select Whole Foods locations, as well as notable eateries like The Spotted Pig in New York City, Nell’s Restaurant in Seattle and (naturally) Forage in Los Angeles are employing full-time eagle-eyed scouts to locate non-traditional nibbles such as wild watercress, ramps, nopales cactus, dandelions, mustard blossoms, wild garlic and onions, stinging nettles, fiddlehead ferns and morels to add texture, interest and a certain je ne sais quoi to their menu offerings. More importantly, gourmet seekers are gobbling it all up.

While it may seem a little odd that establishments are turning toward the forest rather than the farmer’s field for ingredients, they’re certainly not doing it as a cost-saving measure. Many chefs proudly rally behind the sustainable battle cry because they recognize just how far off the track our modern food production system has gotten.

Red yet mysteriously mealy tomatoes gassed in the back of semi-trucks are as commonplace as anemic-looking heads of iceberg lettuce, and simply can’t hold a candle to taste sensation offered by seasonal treasures tucked away in far-off places. Why? Blame it on the complex, taste bud-stimulating flavor profile of foraged foods. Finally, we’re able to be woken up out of the deep culinary slumber that has gripped us for the last several decades, thanks to modern agricultural practices.

Wild edibles do, however, come with a slight risk attached, but in a way the payoff can be justified (in certain circles) when you consider that today’s mainstream fruits and vegetables typically contain genetic material plucked from assorted species as well as multiple types of pesticide residue that can compromise health.

With foraged foods sourced from urban areas, the threat of pesticide application is still a viable concern, as is general environmental pollution via transportation traffic, but it’s less of an issue when the ingredients are plucked straight from forest areas. For today’s restaurants, the bottom line to making this trend stick is that they establish a trustworthy relationship with a knowledgeable forager in order to ensure that the end consumer doesn’t fall ill or succumb to the effects of hemlock masquerading as wild lettuce.

So, admit it. You’re feeling a little hungry. Well, there’s a whole world of wild eats right outside your front door just waiting to be plucked. Whether you forage with your own two hands (with the assistance of a reliable guidebook, of course) or you seek out a restaurant that specializes in forest-found morsels, be prepared for a wild culinary ride that may just prompt you to swear off of mass-produced, purported “salad greens” and assorted botanical accouterments once and for all!