Wild eating

"Maddi (Bruno's wife) eats dandelion leaves. She went out on a dandelion hunt when we got back from getting the donkey manure. She says that they are one of their favourite foods. Has them in salads. Also makes jam with the flower heads", Lester said.

We looked at each for a moment, in silence. We were having our after lunch lie-down. Well, we are in France, and are trying to live according to the French way of life, and if one has to conform with certain behaviours the French have, then that is what one must do.

"Why do I feel uncomfortable with that?" I asked him.

"Doesn't feel right, does it", he replied "Don't know what's pee'd or s***t on it".

Oh so why do we have trouble with wild food. Apparently dandelion is considered a delicacy around here, so why do we feel squeamish about eating it. What is it that has distorted our perception of this plant? What training have we had in our past which has tainted our receptiveness towards using this plant for table food.

And why does this extend to other wild food as well? Why do we feel uncomfortable with eating anything that doesn't come off a supermarket shelf or market stall? Have we become so de-sensitized to real food?

Food for thought, heh?

This morning. The sun was just getting out of bed.
The photo at the top of the page is of the mist itself. It is, after all, made up of round droplets of water, which the flash on the camera has been reflected from. It is an intriguing world when one looks at it from different perspectives.