Explore the aromatic culinary potential of the wild British landscape with us.
In this course, you will gain hands-on experience in the Forager kitchen with unique access to our wide selection of wild native spices. We will immerse ourselves in the smells, tastes, and history of these incredible spices; each with its own story and its own distinct flavour.
With the guidance of internationally renowned forager Miles Irving, you will get to taste and cook with around twenty-different wild aromatics. We will uncover the connections between wild species such as sea arrow grass and the common culinary herb coriander. Together we will discover that our native wild spices can also be exotic culinary complements.
By referencing well-known herbs and spices we can trace back how these lesser-known spices became lost in history; when the idea of flavouring your dish with the ground seeds of native species was less attractive than the exoticism of international trade and the voyages of discovery through world cuisine.
You will discover the potential of wild aromatics and explore with them in a number of ways; including preparation of dishes, drinks, and preserves. We will prepare a light lunch together to demonstrate the otherworldliness of wild aromatics.
Course outline:
- Introduction to around twenty wild aromatics
- Discussion of the historical use of native spices
- Comparing flavour chemistry with reference to well-known herbs & spices
- Cooking with wild spices in a variety of ways to explore culinary potential
- An immersive aromatic journey of discovery
Details: 10am - 3pm | £90 | Meeting at Forager Map
About Miles Irving
Foraging expert Miles Irving has been writing, speaking and teaching on the topic of wild food for over fifteen years. His book The Forager Handbook was published by Ebury Press in 2009 and is considered to be one of the 'must-haves' for budding and experienced foragers alike.
He is the founder and director of Forager Ltd, and the host of the WorldWild Podcast connecting foragers, foodies, and philosophers from around the world. His travels in the world of wild food and in search of further knowledge have taken him to the depths of the Brazilian Amazon and the outback with indigenous communities in Australia.
Miles has led foraging workshops at Kew Gardens, the MAD symposium (organised by NOMA in Denmark) and for many of the top restaurants across the country (Dinner by Heston, Hix group, Restaurant Flat Three to name a few). He has been featured in the BBC 4 Food Programme, The Telegraph, Guardian Food Monthly, The Financial Times, at the Biohacker Summit, and is regularly sought out for his wisdom on a wide range of current ecological issues pertaining to our place as humans in the wild and the emerging future of food production and supply.