The plant is in the same genus as quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), and I am always bemused at the idea that suburban yuppies will spray glycosphate weed killer on it while buying quinoa at Whole Foods. For the record, I love quinoa, but hate weedkillers. The green leaves of the plant are comparable to spinach in flavor, and are a big component of my summer foraging regimen. The small seeds are dead ringers for quinoa seeds, though black in color, and, ground into a flour, were a favorite campaign food for Napoleon. I tend to favor the greens, because they are available long term, while the seeds are ephemeral and a pain to harvest.
Looking at that picture of the plant growing in a thin layer of soil, I have to wonder why this particular plant, having been eaten in historical times, never became a part of mainstream agriculture. Did we just happen to pick the wrong vegetables?
4 comments:
Serious suggestion - have you ever thought about writing a book about your foraging? I know lots of people do it but you talk about plants that are generally considered pests and weeds.
Always interesting to see what you recommend :)
I think I can almost see the outline of a Bigfoot footprint!
Serious suggestion - have you ever thought about writing a book about your foraging? I know lots of people do it but you talk about plants that are generally considered pests and weeds.
There are plenty of books out there, videos too. The field is really crowded already. The funny thing about 'weeds' is that a lot of them used to be considered foodstuffs and sources of fiber, but people have forgotten them.
I think I can almost see the outline of a Bigfoot footprint!
I wear 12EEEE, American size.
"I have to wonder why this particular plant, having been eaten in historical times, never became a part of mainstream agriculture"
I wondered that too. It can't be lack of pollinators or unsuitable climate because it's spread all around the world. It might be to do with knowing how to process it:
https://www.rachellaudan.com/2016/07/why-do-some-plants-become-food-crops-and-others-not-and-what-does-that-tell-us.html
Or it might be a poor input to output ratio, so it's become uneconomic to grow in large quantities (unlike savoury herbs which don't need to be grown in great amounts to be profitable.) The seeds are nourishing, but potatoes are much more so and produce a much bigger volume, for less cost, and as the population exploded, that was crucial.
Perhaps it'll be rediscovered by an 'influencer' and suddenly become the 'kale' of the year. I suspect it will remain a weed only to be treasured by you and your fellow foragers.
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