Edible - 70 Sustainable Plants that are Changing How we Eat.

Edible is a food adventure exploring 70 sustainable plants that are changing how we eat. While you might not find most of these in your local supermarket, they are starting to appear on the menus of more experimental and sustainable restaurants, in search of different flavours and ideas in their dishes. There are definitely some you'll recognise, like sea Buckthorn, Tomatillos, Dandelion & Tamarind there will definitely be a few you've never heard of before. 

The explanation of each plant is Intersected with investigations into topics like Agroforestry, Foraging, the Future of Bread, Food as medicine, Climate Change, and Plants. There's also a key with icons that show the characteristics of each of the plants - that they help control soil erosion, they are tolerant of fire, they mature quickly, they can be stored for a long time, etc. 

Of the more than 400,000 species of plants, it's probable that 300,000 are edible, however, more than half the food we eat is made of just 3 plants: Wheat, Maize, and Rice. Now, it is possible that we just found the 3 tastiest, most nutritious plants but without tasting the rest of them how would we know? What is definitely true is that if we're going to feed a growing population sustainably we need to diversify what we eat, and find alternatives to these basics that don't rely as heavily on fuel, fertilizers, and pesticides for their production. 

While it would be some task to lay your hands on a sample of all 70 edible plants, this book is a very interesting investigation into a broader range of potential plant-based foods. As with many things in life, knowing about the possibilities is the first step towards change. 

Check out the rest of our gifts for those who love their food and gardens

Who wrote it?
Kevin Hobbs & Artur Cisar-Erlach, Illustrated by Katie Kulla

How does it come?
Hardback. Approx 25 x 19.5 x 2.5 cm 207 pages