Gratitude to the mountains and nature! Enjoying the bounty of the mountains: My first time foraging for wild vegetables since moving

When I lived in the Kanto region, I had never received or eaten wild vegetables, but since moving, I have been receiving them much more often (especially kogomi/ostrich ferns), and at one point, I even received about a kilogram of them.

Since kogomi was the first wild vegetable I ever ate, once I discovered how delicious it was, I became so addicted that I couldn't suppress the urge to harvest and eat it every time I saw it, though now that urge has been tempered by the backlash of eating so much of it. (lol)

According to my senior, 'You can't say you've really eaten kogomi until you've eaten enough to turn your stool green,' or something like that...

Looking back, whenever I tried to pick the kogomi growing on the side of the road (which were small, sparse, and thin), I was stopped and told, 'There's no point in picking just a little bit like that! Stop it!' Lol

Looking at the photo again, maybe they stopped me because I was trying to pick kogomi growing in a really dangerous spot. (My judgment was clouded because I was a kogomi addict, after all.)

Besides, even if I picked and ate a little bit of kogomi, it wouldn't be enough anyway. (My stomach is like a universe.)

Recently, I was invited to go foraging for wild vegetables by someone named Kuriki-san, so I joined halfway through, and foraging for wild vegetables is...

incredibly fun!!(So fuuuuun!!!!!)

Since there is so much I don't know, I learned a lot by being taught which wild vegetables are edible and the rules of the mountains.

What I picked that time included koshia-bura, zenmai (flowering fern), shiodé (smilax riparia), kogomi, and itadori (Japanese knotweed), and since my style is to taste-test most wild plants I've never eaten on the spot, I sampled the itadori, which is fine to eat raw.

It's fun because the skin peels off smoothly just like a banana.
As for the taste, it's juicy, salty, and has a slightly sour feel.

It was a wild vegetable that seemed perfect to eat on a hot summer day.

Mr. Kuriki said that when he was a child, he used to eat this Japanese knotweed as a snack.

He said, 'You can also eat a wild plant called sorrel, so give it a nibble.' So, I tried nibbling on it, and it was incredibly sour! What on earth is this! But... somehow... this sourness is addictive!!

It's definitely much sourer than the Japanese knotweed. (Whew~*)

And to think I thought it was just a weed growing around here, but it's actually edible! How ignorant am I...!

Apparently, you can eat it in miso dressing, with vinegar, as overnight pickles, in salads, or as tea, so ladies, if your husband suddenly demands, 'I need one more dish! Make something!', you'll be fine if you have some sorrel. ←

And that's not the only edible plant; for some reason, I don't know why, but there are Azaki radish flowers blooming from a crack in the asphalt. (Azaki radish is a radish that grows wild in the mountainous areas of Aizu and is characterized by its spiciness. Rather than eating it as is, it is often used as a condiment for things like soba instead of wasabi.)

I thought it was just a pretty flower, but it turned out to be an Azaki radish flower~

Try eating these flowers too. They're spicy.

So, I decided to try eating the flowers.

Me: *chew chew chew chew*...?? (It's not spicy at all, maybe it's not a wild radish flower...?)

Just as I was doubting it, the spiciness hit me quite a bit later! Sorry for doubting you.

There was even a large Japanese rat snake, and the woman who was foraging with me, who is an expert on wildlife, caught it. (She looks like such a cute person you'd never expect to do something like that.)

I was allowed to touch the Japanese rat snake, and it felt cool and pleasant.

However, I was told that they release a smelly secretion from their anal vent, so she said, 'Be careful! :)' (I didn't know snakes released things from their butts...)

Then we said goodbye to the Japanese rat snake, and as I was wandering around looking for wild vegetables, I found a light truck that looked like it came straight out of a decayed horror game.

It turned out to be Mr. Kuriki's car.

Before I knew it, it was already evening. Fun times fly by, and there just wasn't enough time.

I'd like to go foraging earlier next time.

Whether it's foraging for wild vegetables, mushroom hunting, or mountain climbing, it's dangerous to enter the mountains alone, so please go in groups.

After all, there are bears and wild boars.

Also, I found a wild plant in the neighborhood that looked like Japanese knotweed, so I peeled it and licked it, but it was very astringent and made my mouth feel puckery, so it seems it was just a weed.

Beginners to foraging should be careful not to put just anything in their mouths like I did! (lol)

Especially with mushrooms, it's hard to tell the difference between edible and poisonous ones, so for your first time, go mushroom hunting with a pro! (Even if you look at a mushroom encyclopedia, you can still make mistakes. I might die if I make a mistake.)

The poisonous fly agaric mushroom is said to have ten times the umami of glutamic acid, which is known for its umami, so it's apparently incredibly delicious, but it's poisonous and dangerous, so please don't eat it.

I want to try tasting it just once, so if I find one, I'll grill it and eat it. (Of course, I won't swallow it!)

I'll write about how it tasted on note when that happens. (If I'm not dead, that is.)

This time, I got some Koshiabura and only three stalks of Shiodé.

I made takikomi gohan (mixed rice) with koshiaura and shiitake mushroom stems (which were a gift).

Apparently, you're supposed to mix the koshiaura in afterwards, otherwise the color turns bad if you cook it together.
(Too late!!)

Well, I'm the only one eating it, so it's fine. That settled that.

It was a fun foraging trip where I learned a lot of different things.

Next time: The episode where my mentor gives me a wry smile during my first attempt at making a vegetable garden.