Learning about Wild Foods

I've got a long way to go on this topic. I don't know all that much but I'm interested in learning considerably more. Especially about the wild foods and medicinal plants used by Maori.

One wild plant I do know we have in abundance at Struan Farm is watercress. It grows in our streams seasonally. I hope to make use of it eventually, provided I can come up with a method to clean it properly.

 

I've learned that the Maori name for watercress is kowhitiwhiti, and that it was introduced by the early settlers and missionaries to NZ. Traditionally it is either fried in butter, or used in "boil ups" with potatoes, kumara (similar to sweet potato) and pork. (I'm thinking of a healthier option: salads.)

I stumbled upon the fruit of the tawa tree recently while walking on the farm. The wood pigeons were in the trees above, feasting away on the fruit, and some plonked down on my head. I then noticed the beautiful red fruit around me on the ground beneath the trees. It turns out that the flesh and kernels were cooked and eaten.

 

 
I'm still trying to identify the yellow fruit in the picture above, right now I think it's from the Karaka tree. If so, the outer fleshy layer of the fruit is edible (and is called "kopi"), but the kernel is poisonous. Maori apparently had a method of steaming and washing the fruit to remove the poison.

I have the wood pigeons to thank for teaching me about the tawa fruit. I take my lessons when and where I get them.

 

Comments

[Dan Benefield]

Hi Karen, Hope you are well. Love your blog by the way. I have a real passion for traditional kai and rongoa Maori. I would be happy to share a bit of my knowledge (though I'm no expert). I take guided forest walks all the time so just let me know:)
Amanda and I made a tawa berry jelly for the Kawhia Kai fest which turned out to be really tasty. We used the liquid from stewed apples as the base the boiled the berries until it looked right. It has a lovely piney taste and is a beautiful rosey colour.
I think the little fruits in the pic are kohia, native passion vine the reddish coloured pulp is edible though rather bland.
Have a great day.
Dan.

[Karen at Struan Farm]

Hi Dan. I would be very interested in a bush walk, especially around our QE2 bush areas (I feel another blog post coming on....). We were wondering if the yellow berries were native passionfruit, but couldn't find any vines and there are lots of karaka.

Let John/me know if you're doing any weekend guided walks in March/April. I am very interested in learning about the traditional sources of food and medicine/healing on Struan Farm in particular so we can pass that knowledge on to visitors. Keep in touch, Karen

[David de Warenne]

Kia Ora... The yellow fruits above are definitiely of the Kohia (native passionfruit) and not karaka... You couldnt find the tree it came from because the fruits of Kohia are found high in the canopy...