Cattail - Wild Edibles Series

Cattail (aka Typha) is edible, but my guess is you probably already knew that. In this video though, I'll show you each edible part, and we'll cook up something together with it that will impress even the seasoned forager :-)
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If this is your first time with us, my name is Dave, and David's Passage is the name of my vlog. This passage in life started with a desire to share my love of the outdoors with the world. My hope is that those who tune into my videos will be inspired to venture out and enjoy all of creation for what it's worth. This video blog features videos on an array of outdoor-related topics, as well as DIY projects that might just help you more fully enjoy the outdoors. New videos come out on Tuesdays at 3pm EST, so please subscribe and be on the lookout for new content soon!
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To keep up, subscribe and visit: www.davidspassage.com
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See you outdoors!
Intro music for this video was written and recorded by myself.
Other music in this video came from the KZbin Creator Studio.

[@jy840]

I can hear my sinuses crying at the sight of pure pollen pancakes

[@KITSUNEDEITY.]

same

[@bored7286]

Same

[@alyssamejia2181]

:') same

[@SparkX28]

Same.

[@DaZebraffe]

Also also: To anyone watching this who hasn't seen another video on cattail before, make sure to be careful where you harvest your cattail from. Cattail is great at purifying any body of water it's planted by, but this is because it absorbs chemical contaminants into itself. So, if the cattail is growing near a road or an industrial plant that uses chemicals or something of the like, eating them is likely to make you sick, or worse.

[@Klodhu]

This should get pinned

[@cylyte2436]

Ooo yes, was just about to comment the same!

[@NotCinnaRock]

I won’t recommend eating a cattail if it has chemicals or not

[@DaZebraffe]

@@NotCinnaRock There's actually multiple parts of the cattail plant that are, in fact, quite edible. Like this video pointed out.

[@NotCinnaRock]

@@DaZebraffe i know but i don’t really recommend it

[@TREEfool]

All of the other videos that I found about eating cat tails consisted of a KZbinr talking in front of a camera without a cattail. Thank you for going into so much detail about the different edible parts of the plant and actually showing it on film. You earned yourself a subscriber.

[@davidspassage]

+TREEfool Thanks for the support. :-)

[@atlas-ks7kl]

@Denzel You replied to something that's 4 years old

[@meedah3500]

@@atlas-ks7kl Lmaoo

[@TREEfool]

@@atlas-ks7kl it's ok. I'm still here ;)

[@TreeFitten]

Cocain

Great!! Never heard of the polen beeing used as flour. Very cool!! Thanks

[@davidspassage]

+Márcio Floripa It's pretty delicious :-)

[@lanah8678]

Best thing about the pollen flour is that you don't have to do any further processing of it to make it edible. I strain it through a screen to get out impurities. Be careful not to sneeze or it will go all over...it is very light!

[@DiggerDugg]

My whole back yard is a swamp, I'm going out there to test for pollen right now. Thanks man, you made me hungry.

[@davidspassage]

Jamie Baker Have fun!

[@johnnyitalia418]

Did u ever try the cattail?

[@mokie7421]

@@johnnyitalia418 I don't think he survived the cattail

[@voidlessentropy4673]

@@mokie7421 Jamie x.x

[@AtoriKushina]

@@voidlessentropy4673 I just found some wild glizzys!

[@alexreasoner9919]

I found some wild glizzies!

[@faln2923]

AAAAAOOOOH SHIT-

[@mrperson8]

tf is a glizzy

[@scott-ry4cj]

@@mrperson8 a hotdog

[@lazarus-lake]

The mulberries took me back. We had a mulberry tree on the road in my papaw's front yard. Every year we'd shake them on a tarp. I'd eat them off the road if I had to! Lol. Good times.

[@necrobynerton7384]

@Reinald same! though it kinda showed up of its own accord, to our surprise because our backyard dirt&soil is pretty hostile to foods, long history why. Shame though our incompetence left the poor thing not being able to produce any mulberries.

[@wassupstock]

Same! Best fruit ever, especially bc they were so! easy to harvest. ❤️

[@thenotsoamazinggracetnsag3463]

WiLd gLiZzYs

[@awintersnowflake7899]

MAGICAL METAL PIPE OF PAIN-

[@thenotsoamazinggracetnsag3463]

@@awintersnowflake7899 YEEEEESSSSSSSSS

[@katanaburner]

I love cattails. I often go out of my way to find and bring em back to camp. It literally goes well with most things.

[@davidspassage]

Doesn't it!? It's really a versatile food.

[@cmanofthewoodscentralus3217]

The pancakes make my mouth water. Great vid's.

[@smothclipsers]

I'm currently growing cattails indoors due to a lack of clean water in my area. I gathered wild seeds, I'm really excited to try this!

[@DCShaneTours]

Euell Gibbons would be proud of you. Gibbons did not die from eating cattails or any wild food. He died from an aneurysm because he suffered from Marfan syndrome. This looks good, I subscribed and looking forward to your videos.

[@K.I.M.7777]

That looked so darn good! Yummy! I am just learning about foraging. I had no idea, like no clue, how much food is growing outdoors in our backyards or on trails. All of what is growing and edible, whether the flower, stem, berry, roots, etc., and no matter how it can be ingested (tea or raw, etc., ) is loaded with medicinal properties. The school system didn't teach me or most of us any of this. Turns out that as a child, I really was playing with my food.

[@LucasErickson216]

This is making me so hungry, I never would have thought of this, thanks for sharing.

[@davidspassage]

Lucas Erickson Thanks for watching and commenting :-)

[@viviesme]

Love it! Wish I had cattails growing near me...

[@johnnyr612028]

Love cattail pollen pancakes. Haven't tried it with mulberries though. Might have to do that sometime. Thanks for posting.

[@wassupstock]

Just discovered this, can't wait to get through the whole series! Thanks for all the close-up work and eating them right on camera. Bonus: mulberries!! Haven't had them in forty years, I miss them so!

[@exernal8969]

I never knew about all those edible parts of cattails, I hope that I'm never gonna have use this in an apocalypse! But very nice, informative video, thank you!

[@PRTTYBTTRFLY1]

Wow! That looks amazing!

[@seedaholicgardens9085]

your cattail pollen pancake will be tried soon! Looks fantastic, I'm learning to prep thanks to lots of smart helpful folks like you. I grow a garden yes, but another wild edible source is always welcome. Yours is the most helpful and comprehensive on cattail I have seen. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@ilovebeingamami]

Awesome vid! Great shots and amazing info! Thanks for sharing!

[@TrilliumWildEdibles]

Very well done video. In depth and informative, this should help quite a few people out.

[@davidspassage]

Thanks :-)

[@BobBob-qg4lo]

Natures glizzy

[@GatorLife57]

Wado for sharing David. I've always wanted to try that.

[@markday3290]

wow really enjoy your videos!!!! 100% informative and never know could possibly save a life if ever in a bad situation!!! Thank you i love the detail of the videos!!!

[@kimonk]

Thank you for the details and visuals! I understand better now how to identify, harvest and prepare all the different parts of cattails!

[@MichaelMiller-ip3lg]

Ok that was amazing, I’m subscribed now because of cat tail pollen pancakes!

[@johnrambo822]

Fantastic informative video. Thank you. Please continue with the great content. All the best from the UK.

[@scout3778]

Never new about the pollen pancakes! Awesome!! Can't wait to try em.

[@bernardboudreau9534]

Enjoyed this video presentation very much. Shared with a few of my friends the link.

[@markbrown2450]

That was so cool! I had no idea.

[@dr.figvideos3303]

Very, very cool! Thanks, David!

[@davidspassage]

Dr. Fig Videos Thanks for watching :-)

[@AndyOnTheMountain]

I'm digging this series Dave, thanks for sharing. -Andy

[@davidspassage]

***** Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying them :-)

[@jacqueline7118]

Awesome series, keep them coming and thanks for sharing all your knowledge!

[@davidspassage]

Jacqueline Schwartz Thanks for tuning in :-)

[@katd114]

Awesome! Thanks for the video..

[@crazykid9741]

great video!! i love watching your channel, please keep up the grrat work

[@SethTaylor_Provo]

That sounds amazing. I'm gonna try to capture the pollen some time.

[@peacefulscrimp5183]

Great video 👍

[@MoshieJ]

Excellent video! Thank you!

[@chanceifer5600]

Great vid, thanks for showing all the parts so clearly. I didn't know about the pollen. Can you store it for any length of time? Thans

[@davidspassage]

Chance ifer Yes. The pollen is very much like flour in that regard from what I understand. Make sure it's nice and dry and it should hold well for quite some time.

[@gibsongirl6816]

Ty! Excellent video!!!!!

[@Ruger41mag]

Never heard of pollen pancakes ...... thanks for sharing.

[@fastaxion229]

Interesting. Living and learning new things.

[@DaZebraffe]

Oh, also, cattail pollen as a flour substitute? Usually has a more enjoyable texture if you sift it through a fine-mesh strainer, first. 's 'cause when you take it right off the plant, it has a tendency to already contain quite a lot of inedible fluff.

[@thebiggzgamez]

That was pretty cool, I would have never guessed pancakes!

[@davidspassage]

DrewsheBag You should try it :-)

[@LaEscuelaDelEncanto]

Thank you for making these videos.

[@davidspassage]

+Alexandro Art No problem, thanks for watching! Tell your friends :-)

[@HoangAnVu]

Nice!

[@ren-lo2rm]

Im 5 years late to this comment. Your first tho 😂

[@jerrybootneck1736]

Very imformative video, thank you. I've also heard the polen can also be used as a thickening agent in stocks and soups.

[@Rat_Sauce]

Ay! This wild glizzy tastes like pancakes!

[@WalkWild]

Great Video bud, Subbed!

[@violetamethyst1186]

I had no idea you could get gluten free flour from pollen! Dude, this is awesome! Thanks so much for the video. I have celiac disease, so it's nice to know of one more source of where to get gluten free flour! :)

[@kiff4free554]

I had no idea those are eatables! Thanks!

[@fleendarthemagnificent7372]

I very much enjoy eating the male pollen head spike (corm) when I can get them. I did this year (2023) from mid May through early July. I also discovered that the narrow leaf cattail sprouts and produces its corm earlier than the broad leaf cattail which is a few weeks later here in Ohio. Regardless of specie, both taste great. Anyhow, to keep in mind is this, that these plants filter out harmful chemicals and substances. Harvest your edibles away from cities, highways and anywhere else where heavy pollutants occur.

[@anamariaboynton9983]

I am going to try!

[@kwingle]

If I was stranded outdoors and found anything you find edible I’m going to thank god you exist in the first place

[@bumbambem2874]

It feels like watching dr.stone making food from scratch but pancakes instead of ramen :v but thx for the info :>

[@prunejuice9197]

they'd probably have fried cattail at an expensive restaurant

[@chocky0]

Hmm, maybe.

[@j.randypollack5314]

Learned this stuff when I was kid from Ule Gibbons.

[@MistoryFox]

I'm inspired.

[@lindsaynorman9323]

i knew they were edible but the pancake from the pollen is a great idea thanks

[@stevennack8945]

My wife and daughter are celiac so we have to try it!

[@Yourlovelyghost]

Wonderful video! Helped a lot, one question I do have is, can you fry the white stem??

[@thedemonslayer51]

Making me wish I had a swampy backyard with those pancakes

[@muckhorse9687]

great video definitely going to try this! what kind of stove are you using? seems very convenient. cheers!

[@taigaboi]

i just couldnt unsee the bug that were trapped in there

[@yaraa436]

there r cattails behind the fence of my school outdoor handball and basketball playground. they grow on the sides of the passage of rain. (its pretty wet there kinda looks like river now it rains sm in lebanon lmao)

[@candylopez6364]

Legendary corn dog yo it’s a legendary corn dog

[@jungleghostsurvival]

That been my thoughts on that for years

[@DerekCooper_]

Nature is wild doood

[@zubayerhossain3719]

Wild Glizzys

[@ebb5555]

Comments are either one day ago or 5 years ago

[@shiraki8327]

Your is 4 day ago :v

[@KookeePenguins]

Wild glizzy

[@Foose3535]

Good for the Midwest my backyard literally has those berries and cat tails lmao

[@justtj5076]

I learn more here than i do in school lol

[@iSTAYuGO]

Thank you, subscribed ;)

[@beridot2615]

Wild Glizzy.

[@pyrofful]

Also in the state of Wisconsin several species of cattails are protected as endangered. Do research to make sure you don't get a fine for foraging.

[@catherinel1327]

oh man i want to try the pancakes!! (and imn gluten free lol) How did you get the fire? water and oil in the metal container

[@Eater_of_Souls]

WILD GLIZZY

[@DaZebraffe]

There's actually one more edible part of the cattail than you listed: In mid-to-late fall, the roots of cattail plants will also have tubers attached to them.

[@lunanova4692]

I didn’t know that they where edible I wanna try one!

[@ruis1982]

I bet a dash of vanilla extract would go far to improve that recipes. David, your a pro!

[@lanah8678]

A tip for preppers: Brown sugar simmered in just enough water to dissolve the sugar and then simmered until thickened a bit makes excellent syrup. It gets thicker as it cools. Add a drop of maple flavoring and you won't be able to tell the difference from the real thing!

[@Spiderferal]

For once they didnt take a bite into the cattail sausage thank you man.

[@emazi918]

Would you cook the inner stalk part? or the shoots? I am new to foraging and trying to make it appetizing (and fun) for four kids. I will definitely be making pollen pancakes for them in the spring.

[@lanah8678]

Even finicky eaters will eat wild foods with relish if they've helped collect it or been part of the process somehow. Great fun for the family together! The stalks and roots are both very mild in taste, so flavor it the way your family will like it. The texture of the raw stalk is like celery and is good in salads or just to eat raw. Or cooked as much as you want, from crispy fried and flavored with salt or whatever, to asparagus texture in soups, juiced in soups and V-8 style juice, as a vegetable with cheese, etc. Pick enough to experiment with! Have the kids make suggestions...they might surprise you with something really good! Make potato chips or fried potatoes with the roots too. This is the benefit of such a mild taste...you can use it in more ways.

[@johannachalk2532]

thank you, I never knew that you could eat cattails.

[@jfavlogs3303]

Hey Dave! Great video. Just came across it. I was curious, are you only cooking with the pollen or do you add flour as well? I've looked up several recipes online and they all call for half pollen and half flour.

[@davidspassage]

Most people use it as a flour extender by mixing it with flour. But the egg acts as a binding agent so you can use the pollen by itself.

[@lanah8678]

The pollen is water repellent to shed rain, so adding it to liquids doesn't work very well. Adding a little regular flour to the batter will allow the liquid used in the recipe to mix in. Maybe a blender would get it mixed without added flour or just more vigorous stirring than I've done. It's something to experiment with. He did it by adding the egg as a binder. Also the pollen has no gluten so will not cause products to rise. But if you mix half and half with white flour you can add it to any baked product and it will be enough to make it rise. That's true of most wild flours made of seeds, nuts, roots, or even whole dried plants. The pollen would add protein to the baked product. That is the only reason online recipes call for half pollen and half flour. It makes a good flat bread or pancake by itself, though. Experiment! I recommend a book by Euell Gibbons called "Stalking the Wild Asparagus". It is a very entertaining and often humerous book about his various experiments and recipes he finally settled on. He was considered the founder of the foraging movement because he was the first or one of the first who wrote on the subject. But because of that, he also had to come up with his own recipes. They were all good. The book is still available from amazon.

[@nutella_._]

I found some wild Glizzy!

[@clippedwings225]

And they never spoil so when you’re getting food for Grey Mother you have a good food source (BTW The thing about them not spoiling is a lie unless you are playing The Long Dark)

[@ChrissyEE]

I wanna try some glizzy cakes.

[@WildWulfGaming]

8:12 he wanted to say glizzy

[@Dan0rioN]

I would imagen you could use the pollen of any plant the same way?? Is it safe to assume you could consume any part of cattail thru various different methods as well??

[@lanah8678]

The pollen of any plant that is edible should also be edible. But the amounts are so small from most plants that it would take a long time to get enough for a pancake! The pollen from one cattail stalk can be considerable. All pollen is high in protein (not a complete protein, however).

[@riscorandom9432]

I wish I could try the pancake things hahaha

[@bradlauk1419]

7:11 HAHAHAWWWW

[@pyrofful]

The leaves when dried and burned are good for wounds. Take the ashes of burned cat tail leads and apply to minor wounds.....so I read. HOWEVER I have not done this so try AT YOUR OWN RISK.

[@clippedwings225]

Man. If you spend some time you can probably get a few days’ worth of vegetable matter plus a flour substitute.

[@jungleghostsurvival]

Whats allergic said of the pollen for those with pollen allergy

[@ThisisFizban]

This is awesome. I wonder if the cattail pollen could be used to make bread. Has anyone tried this?

[@georgehays4908]

......I imagine that if it makes a pancake , bread could be made too ! We here from Cass County MICHIGAN , have maple syrup and lot's of cattails ! Maranatha !

[@georgehays4908]

.......if you're ever over this way . ..........let's play Fizban , I had a shronk . .....on a Tuesday ! I am assuming that you know what I'm talking about . ......StarTrek imaginary card game ?

[@lanah8678]

See my comments above. Without gluten, the bread does not rise. Pollen has no gluten. Mix it half and half with white flour, and you can use that in ANY recipe for bread or cakes.

[@dr.dungbeetle2516]

what season is good for harvesting?

[@Stevemacleod58]

Is there a shelf-life of the pollen collected?

[@yergaderga]

I had no idea they were edible

[@langap1]

don’t tell me you’re not thinking what I’m thinking wild glizzies