Foraging: Wild Garlic

Wild garlic, also known as ramsons, is a powerhouse of a wild food, used for centuries by foragers and herbalists to enhance the flavour of meals, and treat ailments and injuries. It started emerging pretty early this year, in late January, but generally you'll find it blanketing forest floors and bursting from the road-side embankments from around mid-February till late May. Important to note that if you are ever uncertain about what a plant is, or whether it’s safe to consume, it’s always best to leave it, or gain confidence on one of our foraging workshops.

You may have heard tales of a group of 13th century Welsh herbalists, known as the Physicians of Myddfai – they appear in the Mabinogian, written into folklore as the descendants of the Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach (also referred to as the Lady of the Lake - though not the same one associated with King Arthur). The Lady of Llyn y Fan Fach was believed to hold magical, or fae, powers, and it is this supposed touch of magic in their bloodlines that allowed the Physicians of Myddfai to turn their hands to such prolific healing. 

The Physicians also appear in the Red Book of Hergest, an ancient manuscript dating back to 1382, which records a collection of their herbal remedies. It’s no wonder that their talents were woven into myth and folklore; their herbal remedies and healing practices were renowned in Medieval Wales. It feels important to note that these legendary figures were said to have used wild garlic as a potent healing herb for a variety of ailments, one such being "swelling of the stomach". 

Wild garlic is believed to be a diaphoretic (encourages sweating), a diuretic (aids urination), an expectorant (helps with breathing), and it has antiseptic properties. Legend has it that Roman soldiers would even eat it before battle to bring on courage and strength.

One of the many wonderful things about foraging is that it connects you to the land; it encourages you to take interest in all the plants and their histories passed down through the years through folklore, historical records and herbal knowledge. It reminds us that our existence is interwoven with our surroundings, and that it wasn't so long ago that people lived much more in-step with the wild.

These days, most of us source the majority of our food from supermarkets, and are likely not growing our own, or foraging. We are incredibly lucky that food is largely readily available – but we are also quite severed from the origin of our food, the literal roots, the cycles of the seasons, and the dedication, time, energy and skill it takes to grow and farm. Perhaps that’s another significant element to foraging: the earth provides effortlessly, all we have to do is pay attention.

Last week whilst walking my dog near the coast, we found ourselves unexpectedly surrounded by wild garlic - the smell, the colour - irresistible. I harvested a small amount to make a very simple pesto - but there is so much you can do with this wild food! Bake it into bread, ferment it, add it to soups and stews, munch it raw (perhaps when you’re seeking courage, like the Romans). It really is abundant at this time of year, a real invitation to forage; that being said, be mindful to only take what you need and never deplete a source.

VERY simple wild pesto recipe (for 2 people):

When you have all of your ingredients together and ready:

If you're interested in learning more about wild foraging, you can browse foraging workshops HERE. And if you're already an avid forager, or want a little extra incentive to begin, why not start by weaving yourself a beautiful foraging basket?  Browse weaving courses HERE.