Did you know that black raspberries and blackberries are entirely different fruits? Both are cane fruits, producing berries on thorny, arching stems (called canes). Both are members of the Rubus genus, which also includes raspberries and wineberries (and dewberries and boysenberries and cloudberries, among others). And all bramble berries (Rubus species) are aggregate fruits. Each bump on the berry is…
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You know how mothers aren’t supposed to have favorite children? (But we know they do, right, Mum?) Fortunately the same rules don’t apply to foragers. I’m often asked what my favorite wild edible plant is, and I don’t hesitate to answer: milkweed. Milkweed is an edible superstar in my book, providing four edible parts: shoots, flower buds, flowers, and immature…
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The word za’atar has two different culinary meanings. It’s the common name for Origanum syriacum, a plant native to the Middle East (related to common oregano), and it’s also a blend of several spices including O. syriacum, sumac, and salt. Every year in late summer, when my local sumac is at its tart and tasty best, I make a big…
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A podcast about plants with Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari