Food Foraging Cattails
Cattails taste like corn
Chances are good, if you have been around a lake or any swampy area, you have seen cattails. They love getting their feet wet. (grow in very wet soil). They are known by a variety of names such as bulrush, cattail, corn dog grass, cumbungi, punks and raupo.
Almost every part is edible
The root (rhizomes) can be dug up, cleaned and made into a flour that is a source of starch (comparable to rice) Dry the roots first, then peel. They are very hard to peel when wet. After chopping (or slicing) them into small pieces add some water and mash them until the fibers start to break up. Remove the fibers. Allow it is sit a while and the starch will drain to the bottom. It may take adding more water and mashing several times to get all the fiber out. Allow the starch to settle, pour off the top water and the allow the starchy lump to dry and use it like any flour.
It you don’t have enough time to go through that process, you can cut the clean roots into slices and boil them. Then chew them to release the starch, spitting out the fibers. Note that almost every person I have spoke to about cattails say eating the fibers will give you a belly ache.
The stem is edible with the part closest to the root tasting better and less fibrous. Starting for the root, the stems are almost white slowly darkening to green the higher they go. Most people only go for the white parts. I have never done it, but I would imagine the green stems could be treated similar to the roots.
The leaves can be cooked and eaten like any green leafed veggie (spinach, collards, etc.). Use them in recipes or eat them by themselves if nothing else is available.
The upper part that looks like a corn dog before it goes to seed can be eaten raw. They are best in spring when they are young and taste a lot like corn. You can eat them like it was corn on the cob, biting off the outer seed (or soon to be seeds) as if they were corn kernels.
Poisonous look-a-likes
When the plants are young, there are a few look-a-likes that are poisonous. But there is nothing that looks like the mature plant. Always look for the tell-tail left overs from prior years if you are forced to harvest when young. If there are no prior year plants around, do not eat it.
Sources:
Images: Pixabay
artofmanliness.com
eattheweeds.com
cattails.info
wikipedia
Thanks for the post fernowl. When the upper part is young and you say you can eat it like corn, do you have to cook it first? Kate
You don't have to cook it, but some people do. It is up to you. I guess if the zombies are on your heals and you're having to eat on the run, just eat it raw. But when you lose them and have time to cook, throw them in a pot with some water and butter and let them boil a little while.
Sounds like sensible advice! lol
That's all we need is another thing to taste like corn. lol Iowa born and raised
So nice dear
Very interesting. But please explain the last paragraph and the 'left-overs.' I've seen many cattails in my lifetime and never knew they were edible.
Any of the corn dog shaped seed bearing fruit at the top of the stem that is not harvested, will "go to seed". As the seeds burst out, there is a sort of cottony, fuzzy "stuff" left over. (I don't know what it is called, lol) If you look at the second photo, it shows the seed heads after the seeds have taken flight. If you don't see some of those around, don't eat young shoots. It could be one of the poisonous look-a-likes. There should be some of those spent seed pods left over when new growth starts the next year. It takes a while for them to completely rot and fall over.
When I was a kid I remember reading through an old boy scout survival manual and coming across information regarding cattails being edible. I think I even convinced my dad to help us dig up some roots. I don't think we ever tried eating it though.
I should give it a try next summer just to know how to do it.
Me gustaría probarlo!
I've been curious about how to consume the different parts of cattail for a long time, I just never did the research, so thanks for the post. I'd love to give it go, but all the cattails I've located are in questionable water, and I'm afraid they're contaminated.
Yes, it is always best, with any plant to make sure their water sources are not filled with chemicals from runoff. Sounds like you made a wise decision.
Interesting. I had never really considered cattails for food; but have been curious about using the stems for weaving and making baskets. One of those skills I'd like to add to my homesteading belt.
You are correct, the stems and leaves have been used in basket making for hundreds if not thousands of years. I would have loved to learn to do it, but probably never will not with my vision.
Very interesting post and a lot of new information for me. I'm not sure if they can be found in Costa Rica, I've never seen one in real life. I guess it would be a nice thing to try in a future trip. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work!
Your reply made me start thinking. Did a little research and it seems they are not native to Costa Rica, but there has been some brought in an planted in the higher elevation to help in wind control and as an ornamental tree. The article mentioned in Costa Rica they are known as Christmas Trees. the variety there is Pino aguja. so you might can find some, but they may not be near you. Hope this helps and have a GREAT day!