EatTheWeeds: Episode 79: Mead Garden, Part 3 of 4

[@EatTheWeeds]

Sorry for any confusion. You only eat the green part, not the root. I think it tastes better cooked than raw... bit strong raw.

[@EatTheWeeds]

The quick answer is no. The taro that has proliferated over Florida is an aquatic variation with roots I have yet to rid of calcium oxalate (I have an article on that on my site.) The green parts might be edible after boiling, but I am in the process of testing that.

[@EatTheWeeds]

I think the smilax root is an extreme need or famine food only, or something to play with if you have a lot of time.

[@orionz51]

you are right about smilax. i dug at the roots of one for an hour once with a digging stick and never reached the root. i bet i dug a two foot hole following the stem all of the way! in the end i gave up and had a snack of new shoots than filled the hole back around the plant and walked away with a valuable lesson in humility. Ha!! Ha!!

[@MadBadVoodo]

Five Stars!!!

[@Ogapah]

Greetings to you , mister Green Dean !!! I have to make some slight offerings of respectful correction, do not in any way think of me as a nuisance. I apologize if I come across as sounding ignorant or arrogant, but I too am a veteran ( 30 years ) of the humble practice of foraging and subsistence living. Let me say this for the record to all who may deem the time to hear : POKE WEED IS NOT TOXIC - except the berries .....And let me state further that: ONE CAN EAT FOOT LONG LEAVES COMPLETELY RAW - even though the the taste is most assuredly incompatible with most palates. Desire proof ? Let me know in advance if your are planing to travel to Baton Rouge Louisiana during peek poke weed season > late spring to early summer ( 2016 ) .....and I will meet you in person and eat several raw leaves - yes, a foot in length - IN FRONT OF YOU ! Yes, I do understand one should seek confirmation for all things botanical, and that is why I am more than qualified to prove it to you on the spot. I been doing this very method of preparation for the past 6 years - ( moved here from west Texas - which did not have any poke weed. ) and I have a HUGE - approximately 6 feet wide by 5 feet tall poke weed plant that returns every spring in the same spot. Unless I have a rare enzyme that enables me to do the impossible, I suspect anyone can repeat my process . and YES, I too have read in many a field guide the " HIGHLY " Toxic Dangers of poke on the order of NUCLEAR WASTE ! But I finally said enough with the Bull Poop...... and that is why I am offering this invitation per adventure you ever find yourself coming to our fair city. Feel free to write me back at any moment you feel so inclined ( provided you are reading this ) and i will gladly answer any inquires you might have on this or other herbal subjects - baring in mind, however, that the extent of my knowledge gravitates toward folk wisdom handed down to me from my grandparents and their respective anglo- quapaw- celtic heritage , in other words : I do not have much knowledge when it comes to the usage of the Latin Names of plants - I deal mostly in common vernacular . Again , I have great respect for you dear Sir ! No need to take this e-mail as anything but kind opinion. At any rate, my e-mail is a wee bit long, so I be heading for my home now ! --------Safe travels and always ... Blessed Be !!!

[@EatTheWeeds]

Yes, go to my web site and read about them. There are two species and one is not edible.

[@dazigg]

You could eat that Taro I saw in there with the yams too right?