Hunting for edible plants with London's urban foragers

Source: The Straits Times

LONDON - Mr Kenneth Greenway is inundated with requests for the foraging courses that he runs at the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park in east London.

The city skyline is visible in the distance from among the gravestones, where the dead were laid to rest for more than 100 years from 1841 to 1966.

But the main attraction is the wild rocket, nettle and other edible herbs that have sprung up around them.

Mr Greenway - who is 47 and has spent 22 working at the park - says a cemetery is the perfect place for foraging.

"You can't just get machinery in and trim it all. So, things are allowed to grow," he said.

As a result, the list of things that grow there are "as long as your arm", he tells a foraging group of 18 people, rattling off the names of plants used to make salads, soups, syrups, jams and herbal teas.

The group is made up of people young and old. Ms George Page, 59, received the course as a Mother's Day gift from her daughter Maddie, 21.

"We do a lot of gardening and we've spoken about it before, wanting to be able to eat food that we can just get ourselves," explained Ms Maddie.

"I was actually terrified," her mother added, laughing. "I thought we'd die immediately!"

Mr Greenway gives a few basic tips to get the group started.

"You pick the leaves near the top, the leaves that look nice," he explained, warning them not to eat a plant unless they are sure of what it is.

Just then, a five-year-old went to put some fern in his mouth. "Don't eat fern and most grass," Mr Greenway said, telling them that most are inedible.

Well-briefed, the group sets off. The foragers touch, smell, observe and taste, first gingerly with their lips, then more confidently.