Edible Wild Plants Honor

Nature Study

Requirements

  1. Photograph or draw at least 15 edible wild plants. Identify each plant in nature. State the habit (herb, vine, shrub or tree) and the edible parts of each of the plants.

    Answer: Research local plants (jurubeba, taioba, ora-pro-nóbis, purslane, nasturtium, wild mustard, dandelion, nettle, jambu, hairy beggarticks, curly dock, sow thistle, amaranth, chicory, mexican tea). Photograph or draw each one on site. Note the common/scientific name, habit (herb, vine, shrub, tree) and edible parts. — PANCs (Unconventional Food Plants) grow spontaneously. Important ones: ora-pro-nóbis (protein), taioba (leaves), purslane (omega-3), nasturtium (edible flowers). Always confirm identification with a specialist before consuming (toxicity is common in similar plants). Habits: herb (low-growing), vine (climbing), shrub (low woody), tree (tall). Adventism: a varied diet from the divine creation.

  2. Identify, prepare and eat 5 types of wild fruits, 3 types of beverages, 3 salad plants, 3 herbs and 2 roots or tubers.

    Answer: Native Brazilian fruits are tasty and rich in vitamins. Beverages: sugar-free teas and juices. Salads: fresh washed leaves. Herbs: natural seasonings with medicinal properties. Roots: bitter cassava needs cooking (hydrocyanide). Correct identification avoids poisoning. Adventism: natural eating reflects the divine creation (Gen 1:29).

  3. Demonstrate the preparation of wild foods in each of the following ways:
    • Boil
    • Toast
    • Fry
    • Roast (bake)

    Answer: Boiled: boil leaves (taioba), roots (cassava). Sautéed: parboil and fry with a little oil (ora-pro-nóbis). Salads: wash raw leaves and flowers (nasturtium). Juices: blend fruits with water (cajá, guava). Teas: boil leaves and flowers (mint, lemon balm). Document each preparation with a before/after photo. — The methods preserve or neutralize toxins. Parboiling eliminates oxalic acid in ora-pro-nóbis. Bitter cassava needs long cooking. Salads: water+vinegar wash away parasites. Juices: strain to remove seeds. Teas: 5-10 min in hot water. Adventist recipes value foods of the creation. Adventism: The Ministry of Healing recommends natural plant variety.

  4. Demonstrate how to prepare one or more portions of an edible wild plant that is only found in your region.

    Answer: Identify a plant unique to your region (e.g.: jambu in the North, pequi in the Center-West, gabiroba in the Southeast, ora-pro-nóbis in Minas, butiá in the South). Learn a traditional recipe from local people. Prepare it according to the regional technique. Document the origin, preparation, flavor. Serve it to your family or unit. Appreciate regional cuisine. — Each biome has its own PANCs. North: jambu (tacacá), açaí. Northeast: umbu, mangaba. Center-West: pequi (rice with pequi), baru. Southeast: ora-pro-nóbis (Minas), gabiroba. South: butiá, pine nut (Araucaria). Traditional recipes pass on culture. Talking with the elders of the region teaches technique and history. Adventism: valuing the regional gifts of the creation as a cultural expression.

  5. Explain the importance of not eating wild mushrooms.

    Answer: Wild mushrooms can have deadly toxins such as amanitin (Amanita phalloides), causing liver failure with no antidote. Identification requires a mycologist, since toxic and edible ones resemble each other. — Amanita phalloides causes 90% of mushroom deaths in the world, being lethal even when cooked. Brazil's ANVISA prohibits the trade of uncertified wild mushrooms, and the universal guidance is not to consume them without specialized professional technical identification.

  6. Which plant root can be dried and ground to make flour?

    Answer: Cassava (Manihot esculenta): wash, peel, cut, dry in the sun for 2-3 days, grind. Others: arrowroot, taro, sweet potato. Bitter cassava needs to be pressed to remove the toxic hydrocyanic acid. — Cassava has been a staple of the Brazilian Indigenous diet for 7,000 years, being an archaeological discovery at pre-Columbian sites. Embrapa researches modern cultivars, with Brazil being the 4th largest producer in the world and cassava flour exported globally today.

  7. Know at least 8 families that have poisonous or doubtful plants.

    Answer: Apocynaceae (oleander), Solanaceae (datura), Euphorbiaceae (castor bean), Araceae (dumb cane), Liliaceae, Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae. Each family has dangerous species. — Toxic plants are responsible for 30% of childhood poisonings in Brazil according to SINITOX (National System of Toxicological Information), with botanical identification being essential to avoid Brazilian household accidents, officially in use today.

  8. What is the main rule for determining whether a plant is edible?

    Answer: Universal test: never eat without identifying; smell it, rub it on the skin for 15 min, taste a drop on the tongue, wait 8h. If there is no reaction, eat a small portion. Only in a survival emergency. — The US Army's universal edibility test (Survival Manual FM 21-76) is an international protocol for extreme survival situations, being a last resort only. Ideal: bring food and study plants beforehand in botanical manuals.

  9. Create a manual with photos of the plants used to fulfill the previous requirements, adding the following information for each of them:
    • Name by which it is known in the region and, if possible, the scientific name.
    • Identification of the plant (tree, shrub, etc.)
    • Edible parts
    • Where it is found (habitat)
    • Type of toxins
    • Medicinal values
    • Other uses, apart from food
    • Recipes that can be made with this plant

    Answer: A digital folder or notebook with 1 plant per page: photo, common and scientific name, type, edible part, habitat, toxins, medicinal values, other uses, recipe. Use the Plant Net app. — Illustrated manuals of wild plants follow the standard of Lorenzi in 'Medicinal Plants in Brazil' (1992), being a national reference. Apps such as iNaturalist and Plant Net use AI for quick identification, being useful in the field according to Embrapa botanists today.