Expert Vagabond
August12th, 2017

I’ve never been wild mushroom picking before, so we signed up for a foraging tour with a company called No Taste Like Home. The morning began with instruction from owner Alan Muskat about types of edibles we’d be searching for and which poisonous plants to avoid.

After being equipped with baskets, harvesting knives, and paper bags, we headed into the enchanting North Carolina forest. I was completely surprised at how many things you could eat, and how good they tasted!

We collected day lily flowers, chanterelle mushrooms, stinging nettle, sassafras leaves, and strange mushrooms called hairy rubber cups. While not popular in the US, they are apparently a delicacy in Malaysia.

Afterward, you can bring your “catch” to local restaurants in Asheville like The Market Place, where chefs prepare your dinner using the wild ingredients.