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RE: Survival Food Series #11 : Eat the Weed(s), Flowers and Roots! What You Can Eat From Your Own Backyard! Bidens! Yippee more Free Food!
I worked as an ecologist conducting botanical surveys in woodlands, semi-natural grasslands, and upland areas in Ireland for six years and never came across it. But maybe on the continent, as there's way more plant diversity there compared to the island of Ireland.
Peace out
AHHH island ...that makes total sense...did not know you were in Ireland...did not remember or see it from your blog. Thank you for telling me as I was baffled. :)
lol. Actually currently I'm in Rio de Janeiro State in Brazil, so you have a right to be befuddled. Did a quick look up in wikipedia of Bidens, actually doesn't mention Europe in its distribution so maybe even the continent doesn't have it?
How interesting as it is used as a famine food in Africa...a large study on that and others was in my article...under nutrition Well I bet you find one there in Rio! You are clearly an expert, Me, just a prepper. Hey, if you are out and about...let me know...i am very curious now..Good thing I saw so many of the same weeds in South America as we have here in florida as when we expat ...we are heading to Ecuador...
much love and hope your trip to Rio is a blast!
melissa
So it actually does occur here in Rio de Janeiro and I've eaten it. It is quite popular among middle class eco-gastronomers simply cooked as a vegetable to compliment rice and beans. It's maybe not as widely used traditionally as food as might be expected. it has various common names but I think the most used in these parts is picão-preto.
So referring to Kinupp & Lorenzi (2014) they list as wild edibles for Brazil from this genus:
B. pilosa / Bidens alausensis / B. leucanthema / B. pilosa var. minor (all the same species, just taxonomers can't make their minds up).
Also there is: B. bipinnata var. cynapiifolia (known as picão-preto-amazônico / carrapicho) / B. cynapafolia & B. fusca (known as jambu, this is well known as a seasoning as it makes your mouth go numb!!! They used to use it as an anesthetic for dentistry).
For B. pilosa they (Kinupp & Lorenzi 2014) give recipes for ice tea, risoto and also simply sautéeing. The nutritional qualities they list seem quite impressive, as is normal for such wild food gems!
I was thinking if it occurs in the States it's surprising that I haven't seen it in Ireland. It's one thing for a plant to occur in the tropics and subtropics and not make the temperate zone, but it seems it does quite nicely in reality in colder climes.
looking forward to your next article as well...:)
Melissa
Wow...makes your mouth go numb!!! They used to use it as an anesthetic for dentistry).
That is a neat variety...genus? is that what I should say?
Yeah...maybe the island thing ...I have heard ..but do not know much about it that many unique plants and animals grow on islands found no where else. Next time we are down that way want to head to Galapagos, have heard it is a wonderland of unique species!
I so enjoy our conversation..you have taught me much,
Blessings for your day,
Melissa
Glad you enjoyed! Ireland does have some of it's own biodiversity gems (look up the burren for example), but due to the ice age grating our vegetation layer off and then being isolated by water which impeded recolonisation by plants there's a paucity of species compared to the continent.
Enjoy your day!
PS: I've been in Rio for more than two years - it's awesome! Heading back to Europe next month though.
That is so cool ...love your sense of adventure...What brought you there? My husband and I are getting wanderlust...he has a regular job (college) and I have done everything from selling pharmaceuticals (big pharma.. I know...and yes, they are super corrupt)to teaching middle school (the jungle).
Fieldwork for a PhD. I have also done fieldwork in Madagascar and Gabon as well as the consultancy work I did in Ireland, and also a stint in France as an Erasmus.
It's quite interesting to travel to a place with a very specific mission like that, I think you see a very different side as opposed to just travelling.
Sounds like between the two of you you could find some sort of relevant work anywhere it was you fancied going.
Paraty is so lovely, loads of foreigners pass through and then decide to stay so it has quite a mix of people for such a small rural town.
You can read a bit about my story here:
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@kate-m/bom-dia-from-an-irish-ethnobotanist-in-brazil-wild-food-amazing-nature-hippy-souls-shamanic-shenanigans
Love it thanks..will check it out!
left you a long note on your introduction...You should still receive it i think!