Could you grow your own edible forest? One of the oldest forms of home food production, forest gardens involve fascinating relationships between plants, environment, wildlife, people, health and wellbeing. Take a seat at the dining table and discover the foods and flavours inspired by woodland ecosystems.
Edible Forest is an interactive tasting experience inspired by forest gardens that was first presented at Green Man 2016. The project was developed by Einstein’s Garden in collaboration with scientists from the University of Exeter.
Leaves, berries, roots, stems, flowers and seeds were all on the menu for a lunch of ‘forest salad’ and afternoon tea with jams, chutneys and woodland infusions.
Edible Forest
Participants were invited to embrace unusual flavours from plants such as salt bush, day lily, chocolate mint plant, medlar, fushia and Japanese wineberries.
I quite liked the fuchsia berries because they were quite refreshing and I didn’t know you could actually eat them, it’s quite good because I actually have a fuschia plant at home.
– Edible Forest audience member, Green Man 2016
Gardening advice, foraging tips, recipes and fascinating woodland ecosystem insights were shared around the table as people discussed the benefits of forest gardens and their potential for future food production.
There’s something called stevia which is a really intense sweet taste, then you mix it with a mint, and it’s a really really powerful strong long lasting taste, it was amazing. Then there’s a plant that has a really distinct mushroomy aftertaste which was brilliant.
– Edible Forest audience member, Green Man 2016
Edible Forest was supported by the Wellcome Trust as part of a three-year award experimenting with new approaches to creative science engagement. It was first presented in Einstein’s Garden at Green Man 2016.
Edible Forest was produced by Einstein’s Garden in collaboration with Emma Pilgrim from the University of Exeter and wild food expert Martin Bailey.
