Drinkable Wild Foods
Here are about sixty wild foods that are common in Western North Carolina and are usable for drinks. There are surely many others.
acorn: somewhat of a “bitter almond” flavor
angelica: already well-known candied, something like bitter anise-flavored celery
ants, carpenter: their sourness can be soaked out
autumn olive: the juice readily separates, like tomato juice, and the “whey” part tastes just like leechi fruit juice
basswood (linden): the flower is well-known for tea
bee balm (Monarda) leaf, flower: tastes like and is also named after bergamot, used in Earl Grey tea
birch, black (sweet) twigs: strong flavor of wintergreen, used in the original “birch beer”
black walnut: made into nocino
blackberry
blueberry
burdock root
carrot, wild
chaga fungus: tastes like mocha
cherry, wild black
chestnut
chickory: commonly roasted like coffee
daisy (ox-eye), leaf: somewhat like cilantro
dandelion root: also commonly roasted like coffee
dead nettle (Lammium) leaf: juice is rich-flavored, like spinach
dogwood (Kousa) berry: like plum custard
elder flower, berry: flower is used in St-Germain, the berry in wine
goldenrod tops: particularly the sweet anise variety
grape (fox, muscadine)
greenbriar root (sarsaparilla)
hawkweed (cat’s ear): like dandelion and chickory
hawthorne berry: like crab apple
hemlock (tree) tips: like spruce
hen of the woods (maitake): decoction is very savory
hickory nut: flavor and strong smell of pecan
honeysuckle flower
Japanese knotweed shoot: the flavor is just like rhubarb
milkweed flower
mugwort: related to desert sage and wormwood (absinthe), used for beer (hence the name)
mulberry fruit
nettle, stinging and wood: very rich-flavored, like spinach
passionfruit
paw paw: like banana custard
persimmon fruit, seed: the latter can be roasted like coffee
pine needles: like lemonade
prickly pear fruit: classic margarita
puffball (Calvatia): like meringue
raspberry
reishi mushroom: pairs well with coffee or chocolate
rose hips
sassafras root: classic root beer
serviceberry (juneberry)
sheep sorrel: sour like rhubarb
sourwood leaf: also sour like rhubarb
spicebush (Lindera) leaf, twig, berry: somewhat like lemon mixed with allspice
spruce tips
strawberry
sumac berry: sour, used in zattar
sweet cicely leaf: like licorice
wild ginger root: slightly toxic, use sparingly
wineberry: a wild raspberry
wintergreen leaf, berry
wisteria flower
wood sorrel (sour clover)
yarrow: bitter, somewhat floral and resinous
