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Italy is one of the European countries richest in animal and plant species: thanks to the variety of the territory and the latitudinal gradient, according to which the diversity increases as the latitude decreases, our country has about half of the plant species recognized in Europe, which grow spontaneously favored by the climate and soil fertility.
Wild and spontaneous plants, often considered weeds by many, are a great resource for herbal medicine and nutrition, constituting in different historical periods—in particular during famines—the cornerstone of nutrition and many traditional recipes. Among the edible wild plants, there are officinal herbs with extraordinary properties, and tasty ingredients for our cuisine: proof of this is that with the advent of agriculture, many of those herbs that once grew only spontaneously began to be cultivated.
Although the current historical period does not make the collection of wild herbs a necessity for survival, the collection and consumption of edible wild plants, the so-called "alimurgic" plants, remind us that cultivation arrived relatively late in human history, and for many years, nutrition was based on the collection of wild plants, on the seasons that regulated the foods that could be consumed and encouraged collection for preservation during periods of scarcity, and on what the territory offered.
The term 'alimurgic' derives precisely from 'alimurgia', the science that classifies and recognizes edible wild plants and testifies to their historical and health importance. This term comes from the treatise by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzatti, De alimenti urgentia, dating back to the 1700s, in which it was proposed to resort to wild herbs to cope with famines.
In recent years, also in the face of a renewed interest in sustainable and organic nutrition, the culture of wild and edible herbaceous, weedy, shrubby, and tree species is returning to the center of the nutritional discourse, and more and more people are dedicating themselves to their collection, or looking for alimurgic herbs in herbal medicine for their important properties.
Wild plants and herbs indeed have many more properties than the same cultivated species: for this reason, Terza Luna includes wild collection herbs in its shop, providing a herbal product in its most natural form. The wild plant is a plant that has grown spontaneously in the place where we find it, because in that place optimal conditions for its growth have occurred. It will therefore be a healthier plant, even from a botanical point of view: wild plants grow from seeds, unlike cultivated plants that often grow from cuttings. The cutting is a reproduction of a plant from a cutting of the same parent plant, a process similar to "cloning". Plants from cuttings grow exactly the same as the plants they come from, unlike plants that are created from seeds, which will have the genetic makeup of both the pollinating plant and the plant being pollinated.
Plants grown from cuttings are therefore weaker, have fewer micronutrients, and are more susceptible to diseases, which is why they need to be protected with pesticides and fertilizers, unlike wild plants. Wild plants grow in a natural environment, surrounded by a variety of vegetation to draw from: a bit like in permaculture, where we don't find the monoculture of a single species but different plants of different species, wild plants evolve and perpetuate in an ecosystem made of sustainable and natural relationships and patterns where they find all the necessary nutrients for the development of their properties.
The collection of wild herbs is a practice that is becoming increasingly popular, allowing us to rediscover plants and ingredients that have been forgotten, to which important properties are attributed, and to contribute to the conservation of the environment, as there is a growing interest in protecting these species, which are part of the increasingly organic and natural Italian culinary tradition.
If you want to engage in this practice, it is essential to know the rules of proper harvesting, to know where it is possible and recommended to collect wild herbs and plants, and above all, to learn to recognize them with absolute certainty, perhaps by taking a course on identifying wild herbs, to ensure that you are collecting edible plants.
With the resurgence of wild plant collection, there are many experienced gatherers as well as agritourisms and companies that offer courses for recognizing wild plants. Alternatively, you can use specific books for plant identification that can be easily found in PDF format, or mobile apps that allow you to take a photo of an unknown plant, revealing its species. It is important not to improvise as gatherers and to only collect a plant if you are absolutely certain of its species. Alternatively, you can collect it and take it home to consult books or guides on plant identification, or seek advice from an expert.
Wild plants that can be collected include:
It is preferable to avoid collecting roots, as this would disrupt the ecosystem and harm the growth of that plant in that area. Even when collecting stems and leaves, you should not extract the entire plant from the root but cut it at the top, so that the plant can regrow. This way, you also provide a benefit to the plant, as you are pruning it.
Some of the most well-known edible wild herbs to collect and use in the kitchen are:
In the following paragraphs, we will discover their properties together, how to recognize and cultivate them, and how to best use them, in the kitchen and in herbalism, but also in the preparation of herbal cocktails.
Knowing how to recognize wild herbs is essential to ensure that you are consuming an edible product that is not harmful or toxic to health, but it is also important to know where to carry out your wild plant collection, the harvesting period for each plant, and how to do it, fully respecting the ecosystem and nature.
After understanding the methods and practices to follow to recognize wild plants and why to buy or collect them (perhaps after taking a wild herb identification course!), let's discover the most well-known and widespread edible wild herbs, but also the rarest and richest in properties, and how to use them in herbal medicine or in the kitchen.
The dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, also known as dandelion or blowball, is one of the most common and easily recognizable wild plants, as it grows in grassy areas throughout Italy, in meadows, along roadsides, on the banks of rivers and streams, and in areas with a humid climate. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and blooms at the beginning of spring: its most recognizable part is the flowers, yellow flower heads that close at night and reopen with the sun, followed by the "blowball," a white globe with a fluffy appearance. Both the leaves, with a bitter taste and rich in iron, and the flowers can be used. In some parts of Italy, the flowers are preserved in vinegar, like capers, but they can also be used to make jams. Dandelion leaves are perfect for enriching salads, but they can also be cooked in soups, with pasta, or in savory pies.
Dandelion offers numerous benefits: it is not only a source of fiber and minerals, but it is excellent for improving diuresis and detoxifying the liver thanks to its purifying, cholagogic, and choleretic properties.
The mallow, Malva sylvestris, is one of the best-known and most easily recognizable wild herbs. It belongs to the Malvaceae family and grows wild in the plains and hills, in uncultivated fields and on the edges of roads in temperate regions. The harvesting period is spring, when its lilac and violet-colored flowers can be collected. Mallow is one of the most collected edible wild herbs due to its extraordinary therapeutic properties for the respiratory tract and body mucous membranes, thanks to the presence of mucilages that provide a protective action on the skin and mucous membranes. Mallow has emollient and anti-inflammatory properties and is effective in soothing bronchial and oropharyngeal inflammations, as well as in combating dry and productive coughs.
With mallow, you can collect the leaves, which can be cooked and added to soups, stews, omelets, and risottos, or eaten raw in salads, and the flowers, which can be used to prepare a decoction to be used in case of cough, sore throat, and inflamed bronchi, but also to decorate various dishes, added to pasta dough, gnocchi, and cookies.
Amaranth, Amaranthus retroflexus L., is a wild herb often considered a weed in fields and gardens, like dandelion and purslane, and grows in uncultivated fields and meadows, among ruins, in soils rich in minerals. In reality, it is an herb with important beneficial properties and multiple culinary uses. The name "amaranth" comes from Greek, meaning "that does not wither," as its flowers with their characteristic red color in the shape of a spike, which make it easily recognizable for harvesting, maintain their color long even after drying. The amaranth plant is a bush that can reach heights of up to 2 meters in very fertile soils, but generally does not exceed 80-100 cm. Amaranth seeds are used, which are attributed extraordinary beneficial properties, but also the leaves, which can be eaten cooked like spinach or chard: it is one of the few completely edible plants. The leaves should be harvested from June until winter, while the seeds mature between August and October and can be collected when they are easy to separate. Amaranth seeds are used as grains, in soups, stews, but also to make flour, or like quinoa to create meatballs and casseroles. They can be popped, or soaked in water to create a gel. The seeds are rich in proteins, iron, and fibers, and an excellent gluten-free nutritional source, making it suitable even for those with intolerances.
Nettle, Urtica dioica, is one of the most common wild plants in Italy. Many might be discouraged from harvesting it, fearing its stinging principle that irritates the skin when touched. In reality, nettle is a wild plant with multiple properties: not only does it act as a natural pesticide and fertilizer, and can therefore be planted in gardens for the benefit of other plants, but it grows spontaneously in fertile areas and is an indicator of a good ecosystem for other plants that grow around it. Nettle is one of the most commonly used edible wild herbs in cooking, recommended for its delicate taste in preparing risottos, omelets, pasta, and gnocchi. It is very important to cook nettle leaves before using them, to eliminate the stinging principle found in the fine hairs that cover them. Nettle is a perennial plant and can be harvested in spring, when it reaches its balsamic time and the leaves are more tender. In addition to culinary uses, nettle also has numerous beneficial properties: it is a liver and kidney purifying plant, and is strongly alkalizing.
Borage, Borago officinalis, is a plant belonging to the Boraginaceae family that grows wild in many areas of Italy. It is easily recognizable thanks to its distinctive blue flowers, which grow in a bell shape that faces downward. Borage has many beneficial properties, it is an excellent febrifuge, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is a rebalancer of the female hormonal system, useful in case of irregular cycles, ovarian cysts, and menstrual pain. Borage is also an excellent ingredient in the kitchen, particularly appreciated in salads or in omelets and savory pies.
The milk thistle, Carduus marianus, is a wild plant that grows throughout the Mediterranean area, very easy to recognize thanks to its bright fuchsia flower and intense green leaves speckled with white. Its seeds are used, to which numerous beneficial properties for the liver are attributed thanks to silymarin, a substance extracted from the achenes known for its purifying and protective properties on the organ. Milk thistle is also functional for asthenia, loss of appetite, and flatulence. An infusion can be prepared by boiling the seeds for 15 minutes, and then letting it sit for another 10 minutes after turning off the heat.
The oak is a type of oak tree found in Europe. Since time immemorial, its bark has been collected, grayish in color with a smooth and fissured texture, which has a very tannic composition with antibacterial properties. In addition to tannins, the oak bark also contains catechins and oligomeric proanthocyanidins: it can be used to prepare an infusion by pouring a teaspoon into water and boiling for 10 minutes. In the past, oak infusion was used for inflammations of the oral and intestinal cavity, but today this bark is mainly used for smoking, in cooking, and in the field of mixology.
Try Terza Luna's Oak Bark
The alder buckthorn bark, Rhamnus frangula, is a well-known element in herbal medicine thanks to its laxative properties that help counteract constipation and stimulate intestinal motility and peristalsis. These properties are conferred by the active ingredient, frangulin, and anthraquinone glycosides, which are activated in the large intestine. At Terza Luna, we have included it in the laxative herbal tea, along with mallow and senna. Alder buckthorn bark has a gray-violet color, with several white lenticels. The tree grows in sandy and humid soils, in forests or mountains in Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
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The Madagascar pepper, also known as Voastiperifery pepper, is a pepper that grows wild in the forests and is impossible to cultivate. The plant climbs through its vines on surrounding trees, making it very difficult to harvest: even for trade, the berries are hand-picked, often at heights of more than 15 meters. This makes Madagascar pepper one of the rarest and most precious peppers, as well as expensive. It is used in cooking for its extraordinary aromatic properties, to accompany grilled meats, fish, vegetables, and especially grilled vegetables. The spicy component is not excessively hot and invasive, but rather evokes memories of a damp forest, tobacco, and autumn leaves. It can be used to prepare aromatic oils, but also to take advantage of its digestive properties and metabolism stimulation.
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The leaves of the birch are a widely used ingredient in herbal medicine. They are easily recognizable thanks to their triangular-rhombic shape, dark green color, and toothed edges. The birch tree is typical of Northern European countries, as it grows in rather cold climates and easily adapts to dry conditions: it has a slender trunk and can reach very important heights. Birch leaves have diuretic, purifying, and draining properties. In addition to birch leaves for herbal tea, on Terza Luna, you can find birch in the draining herbal tea, as the presence of flavonoids, tannins, vitamin C, betulinic, and chlorogenic acid make it the ultimate draining agent. It is used, precisely due to its diuretic and draining action, to counteract cystitis and cellulite and to eliminate toxins from the body.
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Horsetail, Equisetum arvense L., also known as horsetail due to the shape of the stems that make up the main part of the plant, is an important wild medicinal plant, considered one of the oldest plants in the world. It is a wild plant that grows everywhere, especially in areas with high humidity, but it is able to adapt to different climates, a characteristic of the most long-lived plants, which has allowed it to survive for millions of years without becoming extinct. Horsetail stems and leaves can be harvested, which in herbal medicine are used in the preparation of infusions and herbal teas, to take advantage of the plant's diuretic and remineralizing properties, important for bones, teeth, and hair, and for the urine-washing action, useful in alleviating urinary tract infections. At Terza Luna, we have included horsetail in our draining herbal tea, along with bearberry and birch.
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The hawthorn is a wild herb that can be harvested in autumn, to which important phytotherapeutic properties are attributed, greater in wild hawthorn, which is not subject to the weakening effects of fertilizers and pesticides. Hawthorn is one of the main relaxing and anti-stress plants: in particular, it is a sedative and muscle relaxant, useful for those suffering from heart problems as it regulates blood pressure. At Terza Luna, you can find hawthorn in flowers and leaves for infusions, or inside the relaxing herbal tea, along with lavender and melissa.
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Artemisia, also known as the bandit's herb or wild absinthe (as it is very similar to absinthe), is a wild harvested plant belonging to the Asteraceae family and characterized by a strong bitter principle. It is a plant that grows particularly in Mediterranean areas and is recognizable by the unique shape of its pinnate leaves. Artemisia is a plant widely used in herbal medicine, from which essential oils with medicinal properties such as antiseptic and antispasmodic are obtained, but its leaves, collected from wild plants, can also be used in cooking. Artemisia leaves can be consumed cooked or raw, aiding digestion, and are often served as a side dish with particularly fatty dishes. It is also possible to prepare an artemisia infusion or use it in the distillation of liqueurs like absinthe. Artemisia is a very feminine plant and is useful in the process of regulating the menstrual cycle, both in cases of frequent or sparse cycles.
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Absinthe, botanical name Artemisia absintium, is a perennial plant very similar to artemisia, of which it is a species. It is harvested in August and September, the leaves with the stem are collected, and often dried to make infusions or for use in mixology. The most distinctive feature of absinthe is its bitter principle, making it a highly appreciated ingredient for creating spirits and liqueurs. Among its properties, it can induce the menstrual cycle; it is also an excellent febrifuge, aids digestion, and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the body.
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The cornflower, Cyanus segetum, is a purple-blue flower widely used in herbal medicine for the treatment of swelling and fatigue: it is also particularly effective in relieving eye irritations, conjunctivitis, and other eye disorders. Cornflower is a wildflower that grows spontaneously and can be found in many meadows and rural areas, although nowadays it is increasingly rare as it is very sensitive to pesticides and herbicides. It was considered a weed in wheat fields, but in reality, it is a valuable wild plant that, in addition to being an edible flower suitable for decorating dishes and cocktails, has numerous decongestant, soothing, and cosmetic properties.
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Immortelle, Helichrysum italicum, is a wild plant that grows throughout the Mediterranean region. It is an aromatic plant with important medicinal properties. The immortelle flower has a bright yellow color, and its name derives from the words sun and gold, due to the color and the radiating shape of the inflorescences. Immortelle is a very important flower in traditional medicine thanks to its properties: it is used for skin care, but also for its beneficial effects on the digestive system and respiratory tract. In the kitchen, the flower is used, harvested between May and September, to prepare a beneficial infusion for its decongestant, antihistamine, and anti-inflammatory properties. On Terza Luna, you can find immortelle in dried flowers or in the antihistamine herbal tea. Thanks to its intense aroma, similar to licorice, it can also be used to scent rooms and furniture.
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Asafoetida, or assa fetida, is a resin of Indian origin, a very peculiar product at the base of curry compositions. It is a very rare and precious product: on Terza Luna, you can find asafoetida in resin grains, to crumble and use to enrich soups and stews. The name of this spice comes from the pungent and unpleasant odor it emits, which is modulated during cooking. Asafoetida is a spice highly appreciated by connoisseurs of Middle Eastern spices and can be a very rare product to find in its pure form, as it is often mixed with other spices, like fenugreek, to promote long-term preservation. On Terza Luna, however, you can find whole resin grains, to be crushed before use, to add a savory and pungent taste to preparations.
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The portulaca is a plant that grows everywhere in Italy, and it is a weed in vegetable gardens and fields. It is also called purslane or pigweed, and there are several variants of it. It can be harvested to use its leaves, which are very fleshy and can be added to salads and vegetable side dishes. In ancient times, it was believed that this plant kept evil spirits away, and its culinary use dates back to the court of Louis XIV. Portulaca leaves can be added to soups or omelets besides being eaten raw: in Tuscany, it is one of the ingredients of panzanella, and it is often found in mixed salads.
