Oddbean new post about login | logout I’ve found 3 Berkeley’s Polypore mushrooms this year. The last one I found I cooked & canned it into a saltwater brine w/ thyme. I thought it was very good, but the wife didn’t like it. I think I’ll do another salt brine, maybe I’ll add elm leaves to this batch #foragestr https://image.nostr.build/150ddc774c90247ce46b9a0060f1a47eade85760d1b3ae3a3eb21dab85ff6cd0.jpg
Heard of eating elm seeds and even cambium; what do elm leaves do?
I don’t know I’ve only ever thrown them in broths. I’ve got a gut feeling they’d be good with this. Rosemary would also work I think
Huh, so they’ve got an herbal flavor? I must try this. Any species of elm?
Winged elm (ulmus alata), it adds that leafy earthiness. Kinda hard to explain - it tastes much like the leaf smells, your breath is forest air
Dude. Poetry Will try. That’s a distinctive looking tree, I know it 💚
Lolz, I think mushrooms naturally wanna be paired with tree leaves. Dunno how I’ve never thought of that. Maybe me eating a salted version of this exact mushroom everyday the last few days, then finding another one that is of the same mycelium (on the same tree) is making it speak to me ???
What other tree leaves do you like to eat? I think the only ones I tend to eat are sassafras and fig. In China I also had fried Zanthoxylum leaves, which as a recipe they just call what translates to “tree leaves.” Sooooo completely delicious; I want to try it with native Zanthoxylum species.
I’ve never heard of the genus, I’ll look into that. I want to travel to southeastern China so bad, I know they have so much stuff that can probably grow here that I don’t know about! I actually haven’t eaten many tree leaves though, really only the elm. Even then I used them like bay leaves. I have heard that the paper mulberry, & basswood (linden) have decent edible leaves. I have eaten devils walking stick shoots (aralia spinosa), those are really good with asparagus
Oh yeah, if you want tasty shoots, check out edible species of sumac. Succulent texture and cedarwood-like taste, so awesome!
Zanthoxylum is an amazing genus. In Asia the seeds of different species are used as a spice called Sichuan pepper, or in Chinese,“flower pepper,” which is central to Sichuan cuisine in particular. It has a citrus-like flavor and causes a numbing, buzzing sensation. Food using it and chili peppers, the classic combo, is said to be 麻辣, “numbing and spicy.” American species aren’t recorded to be used as a culinary spice, but were used medicinally for their numbing effect (“Toothache Tree”). I want to test out the American species for culinary purposes, but have never encountered one in the wild. 😢
Oh okay I actually have attempted to plant that before, had no luck with the seeds germinating. I’ll have to try again
I like eating basswood leaves, usually as a trailside snack. They are good in salads too, but I rarely make salads. They are best when still somewhat translucent.
Yeah definitely a young tree leaf is the way to go. Unless you really really really need fiber 😂
I’ve heard they’re good to use like a banana leaf in cooking. Wrapping food up
I'll have to try this. I have used grape leaves for a nice bitter wrap
That’s very Mediterranean of you
Also sounds like it would be so good in mushroom dishes
wonderful hey dont you get too afraid of this mushroom be another species? like how do you know that this isnt some bizarre similar but poisonous mushroom?
I do a lot of research before eating a wild mushroom for the first time, usually 2-3 hours. When I’m confident, I only eat a small amount & wait at least a day to be sure I don’t have a weird allergy I’ve also taken a class in my local area on easy edible mushrooms, but more importantly, the poisonous ones. There are only a few that will kill you (in my area) and I know them all by heart. Quite a few can make you sick, those are more numerous than deadly mushrooms
