View Full Version : wild food books
Hello everone,
I'm looking for a nice thick book on the subject of collecting and hunting wild food and identifying animals, plants and fungi for consumption!
Does anyone have any suggestions about good books on this subject?!
I've got an SAS pocket survival guide and a few books on fungi and mushrooms but I'm looking for something a bit more comprehensive on the subject of wild food...
Cheers,
Jack
Can't beat Uncle Ray....
http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/593-Ray-Mears-Wild-Food-Hardback/
sxmolloy
05-11-2010, 15:44
Food for Free by Richard Mabey. Available in a few different sizes including the Collins Pocket Gem. It's held in high regard on this site and for good reason. It only covers plants and sea food I think though, not wild land animals.
Can't beat Uncle Ray....
http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/593-Ray-Mears-Wild-Food-Hardback/
Ah brilliant! Thanks, that does look like a good book
Food for Free by Richard Mabey. Available in a few different sizes including the Collins Pocket Gem. It's held in high regard on this site and for good reason. It only covers plants and sea food I think though, not wild land animals.
Oh yeah that's another thing I already have (the 'food for free' pocket gem guide), perhaps I'll have a look at the larger versions!
I'm currently browsing through and making notes on a list I printed off of about 350 edible fungi species that roger phillips has listed on his site!
collins gem
food for free
or the big one by the same author
both great
Justin Time
05-11-2010, 22:12
I'd go for the Forager Handbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0091913632/?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=4130802733&ref=pd_sl_9cuw34mgvf_e) I think it's better than the Mears book. It's well structured, great for helping with ID, recipes, benefits and warnings about possible confusion plants. Doesn't mention animals or fungi though. Of course, you could get both books...
Geoff Dann
05-11-2010, 22:22
Hello everone,
I'm looking for a nice thick book on the subject of collecting and hunting wild food and identifying animals, plants and fungi for consumption!
There isn't one. You need several. The forager handbook is full of great information, but the black and white pictures are hopeless, so you'll need a plant identification book like "the wild flower key" by Rose/O'Reilly.
IntrepidStu
05-11-2010, 22:28
I second this. I think the usefulness of this book is FAR better than Ray's.
I'd go for the Forager Handbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0091913632/?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=4130802733&ref=pd_sl_9cuw34mgvf_e) I think it's better than the Mears book. It's well structured, great for helping with ID, recipes, benefits and warnings about possible confusion plants. Doesn't mention animals or fungi though. Of course, you could get both books...
IntrepidStu
05-11-2010, 22:31
I agree to this but if you are new to botany, then i wouldnt recomend the wild flower key. The normal "collins" wildflowers will suit you better, or a similar photographic kind.
Cyclingrelf
06-11-2010, 07:24
For recipes and ideas for cooking stuff:
Wild food (Roger Phillips) (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Natural-history-photographic-guides/dp/0330280694)
A cook on the wild side (Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall) (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cook-Wild-Side-Channel-Four/dp/0752211153)
StigOfTheDump
06-11-2010, 13:09
My choice of books would be
Wild Food by Ray Mears
The Complete Book Of Seafood Fishing by Rob Avery
I also like the River Cottage Handbooks particularly
Edible Seashore by John Wright
Sea Fishing by Nick Fisher
Hedgerow by John Wright
and Mushrooms also by John Wright
Im not a big fan of Food for Free by Richard Mabey IMHO its a bit of a rip off of A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve which is a far better book.
I'd go for the Forager Handbook (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0091913632/?tag=googhydr-21&hvadid=4130802733&ref=pd_sl_9cuw34mgvf_e) I think it's better than the Mears book. It's well structured, great for helping with ID, recipes, benefits and warnings about possible confusion plants. Doesn't mention animals or fungi though. Of course, you could get both books...
Thanks Andrew, Geoff and Stu for this suggestion...
I'll remember this book for later when I feel I can spend money again (I impulse bought the Ray Mears book as soon as the first replies were posted! I'm sure this book will be good too though going by the other posts in this thread!).
Maybe I'll leave the 'wild flower key' for now like you suggest Stu, and just use photos on the internet to help ID things because I am very new to IDing wild plants. I've got a small amount of experience IDing mushrooms and using a key or two but as long as it's safe enough to use the foraging handbook without refering to a key as well then that's ideal for me...
Cheers
Jack
For recipes and ideas for cooking stuff:
Wild food (Roger Phillips) (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wild-Natural-history-photographic-guides/dp/0330280694)
A cook on the wild side (Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall) (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cook-Wild-Side-Channel-Four/dp/0752211153)
Thanks Cyclingrelf,
I never knew Roger Phillips did plants as well as fungi! If 'Roger Phillips' is actually just one man then he has had an impressively productive life if he's producing all these books on different subjects (I've just seen his one on wildflowers and his book on trees aswell..!)!
Jack
My choice of books would be
Wild Food by Ray Mears
The Complete Book Of Seafood Fishing by Rob Avery
I also like the River Cottage Handbooks particularly
Edible Seashore by John Wright
Sea Fishing by Nick Fisher
Hedgerow by John Wright
and Mushrooms also by John Wright
Im not a big fan of Food for Free by Richard Mabey IMHO its a bit of a rip off of A Modern Herbal by Maude Grieve which is a far better book.
Ok the sea fishing books do interest me a lot but I live as far from the sea as you can get in Britain which really is a shame. I will have to compare the rivercottage Hedgerow book to the foragers handbook and see which one is the winner! (and then probably end up buying both :D)
Thanks mate,
J