What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rock Tripe
Containing about 1/3 more calories than equal amounts of honey, corn flakes, or hominy! Peel it off rocks & remove the grit. It's crunchy when dry but soft when water's added. Boiled in water until it becomes soft & gelatinous, I ate the smaller type for breakfast, like oatmeal on the ALONE show
Historical Note: George Washington’s troops ate rock tripe during the deadly winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. Woods Cree, Chipawayan, Abernaki and Mohawk also known to have used Rock Tripe as a staple food. "Agreeable and nutritious when boiled with fish-roe of other animal matter". J Franklin 1823.
Reindeer moss
Another of my favorite foods to forage. It's a bit of a lengthily prep time as you need to wash it twice in clean water BUT if you get a free day you can work through quite a large amount. I like to wash it, let it air dry and then turn it into flour, and use as a thickener or make patties with mixed with duck fat.
Indigenous people of the Arctic, also known as the Dene, ate reindeer moss by hunting reindeer and harvested its stomach after the animal had consumed the lichen. They would remove the contents, add the animal's blood and let it ferment for a few days before being cooked and eaten.
WILA LICHEN - Horsehair Lichen
Wila grows on dead or dying trees. Wila is blandly nutty and can be used raw or in porridge and breads. It was traditionally pit roasted and was an important part of the diet of Native Americans in the Northwest, serving as an everyday delicacy as well as an easily gathered year-round food for lean times.
To Boil it twice and then let it sit over night. Strain and dry in the sun or in an oven, Once dry, grind into flour, depending on how much elbow grease you use it can become quite fine. Use the ratio of 1/4 Wila flour to 3/4 of flour for bread or other baked good recipes.
Iceland Moss
Iceland Moss grows from Canada to Alaska; south to the Pacific Northwest, Wyoming, Colorado, the Great Lakes states, New England, and in alpine regions in the Appalachians to Tennessee. It can be made into a flour, a jelly when boiled & also turned into custard like deserts. Recipes coming soon!
"In Norway during the years of bad harvest from 1807 to 1814, dried Iceland moss was used to supplement flour. ... The lichen was soaked in lye (a water extract of fresh wood ash) for 24 hrs, which neutralized the lichen acids. It was then dried and blended with grain before being ground into flour.
Sphagnum Moss
There are hundreds of kinds of sphagnum in the world. It grows in wet places, especially in the northern hemisphere. Alaska, Canada and Finland are great sources of sphagnum. New England has about 20 species alone. They come in a variety of colors, from green, to brown, orange & red depending on the season.
Technically, fresh, clean moss can be eaten raw in a survival situation. I don't recommended that you do so but if you have to, it'll sustain you until you get a proper meal. The best way to eat: remove roots, pound the fresh leaves into a paste & boil.
Oak Moss
Oak moss grows on the bark of the oak trees but can also be found growing on coniferous trees and some older fruit trees. The pale greenish gray body, 3 to 8 cm long, is branched and slightly resembles mini stag horns, ending in pointed tips. The top is light green and warty. The undersurface is a whitish colour.
The starches of cooked oak moss make it a great carrier of flavor. Clean the oak moss so there are no bits of bark still attached and boil twice in two changes of water. Deep fry and then add flavored oils like truffle and sunflower or just freshly squeezed lemon juice have made some really delicious tasting snacks.
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