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Why Foraging for Food Is the Latest Trend in Luxury Hotels and Fine-Dining Restaurants
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Over 20 years ago, Danish chefs Claus Meyer, René Redzepi, and Mads Refslund explored natural habitats in the Faroe Islands and Iceland, discovering unique ingredients that influenced the New Nordic food movement and menus like Noma's.
- The pandemic sparked increased interest in foraging among home cooks, with online platforms like Falling Fruit seeing a 40% rise in traffic from 2019 to 2020, while mushroom picking in U.S. parks has become so popular it is now banned in some areas to protect the environment.
- A more sustainable approach to foraging involves visiting less-accessible areas where traditional living off the land persists, as exemplified by Sam Seidenberg, a backcountry expert who leads challenging hikes near Los Padres National Forest to gather wild ingredients.
- Seidenberg combines foraging with experiential learning by hosting alfresco bars where guests use the collected fruit and herbs to create their own mocktails, highlighting the connection between nature and culinary creativity.
