Medicinal plants are sometimes cooked…
Visit the Henzel edible forest, managed by the non-profit organization OAZO, a one-hectare plot housing no less than 500 species of plants... an exploration offering unexpected flavors.
On Sunday, August 2, we discovered plants from a different angle – a greedy angle – in the Hennezel Food Forest.
Warmly welcomed by Loïc and Sylvie from the OAZO non-profit organization, we explored their incredible edible forest nestled in the heart of the Vôge. If you are wondering what an edible forest is, here is their definition:
It is an intelligently designed three-dimensional feeding garden that reproduces the structure of a young natural afforestation and employs perennial plants that are mostly edible, medicinal and utilitarian, thus allowing low maintenance.
It can host large and small trees, shrubs, herbaceous perennials, aromatic herbs, annuals, root vegetables and climbers, all planted in a way that maximizes positive interactions and maintains fertility through the plants themselves, giving the system productivity and sustainability.
According to Loic, our guide, the one-hectare plot is home to no less than 500 different species, species imported from many countries, not to say from all over the world. Suffice to say that during these two hours and a few explorations, our taste buds travelled!
Imagine: leaves with the taste of peanuts and onions (Toona sinensis), male dogwood fruits (Cornus mas) macerated in oil that surprisingly recall the taste of olives with an even more subtle flavor. We also “snorted” the roots of the goose (Geum urbanum), whose scent evokes cloves in full nose, and tasted a delicious jam of nefles (Crataegus germanica), not to mention the flower buds of wild garlic (Allium ursinum) in pickles… But we stop there to not disclose everything and leave the mystery hanging over this incredible experience.
At Phyto-info, for example, wild garlic or the need are well known for their therapeutic properties. But this walk was a great opportunity to rediscover some medicinal plants from a different and equally fascinating angle: that of their taste qualities.
From this visit we brought back two intriguing plants. First, a perennial basilica whose Latin name is unknown, from the family heritage of our guide. We will see if we can identify him. Then we adopted a Houttuynia cordata, a strange and surprising plant. Its amazing flavor divides the palates: some perceive a taste of raw fish, while others recognize notes of coriander or even citrus. One thing is certain, it leaves no one indifferent.
To discover our plant finder, head to this page. If you are interested in our search tool, more info at phyto-info.com
And if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us 🤗