Italians are simply wild about wild food. Whether it’s chestnuts, borage leaves and mushrooms in the autumn, truffles in the winter, asparagus, wild hops, nettles and dandelions in the spring, or wild garlic, berries and fruits in the summer, there’s always something that has Italians taking to the forests, mountains, countryside and even their gardens with their baskets at their side.
Wild foods in Italy are not niche. Most Italians will regularly eat something they’ve collected themselves. To get a clear idea of what we are talking about, at one end of the spectrum is hunting. Italians are passionate hunters and game such as hare, wild rabbit, venison and wild boar is highly prized. However, not everyone in Italy hunts, and not everyone will go to the trouble of obtaining a licence to go hunting. Italians are also avid fishers. With 7,500km of coastline that probably won’t come as much of a surprise. But let’s not forget the streams and rivers that flow down both sides of the Apennines and through the Alps. Freshwater fish is very popular in Italy and the range will probably surprise you – Lake Garda alone has 30 types!
More popular, and more accessible, are the various foraged foods which are available to everyone, if you have a little knowledge and are prepared to put in a bit of effort. Foragers are not difficult to spot. They’re the ones invariably with a walking stick in one hand and a basket in the other. Sometimes they’re wearing a pair of Wellington boots, depending on the season.