Berries, and Mushrooms, and Plants, Oh my!

Savor the end of warmer weather while adding some sweet flavors to your food! Come late summer, Swedes are notorious for taking advantage of Sweden’s Right to Roam laws, (allemansrätten), and foraging for ingredients, especially chanterelle and berries.

Sweden’s Right to Roam, often translated as “everyman’s right”, is a historic custom law allowing the public to roam freely and use Sweden’s natural resources. Protected rights include swimming and boating, hiking and skiing, berry picking, mushroom gathering, fishing, and even camping on most outdoor lands. Notably, this custom also ascribes certain responsibilities for anyone using nature, including ensuring that they leave no trace, do not over-harvest, and respect the privacy of landowners and other people they meet out enjoying the countryside.

More than two-thirds of Sweden’s countryside is covered in forest, making it easy for anyone to venture into the woods for seasonal plants that bring exceptional flavors to the table.

For savory palates, chanterelle mushrooms with cheese on toast or baked into a quiche is a simple, classic Swedish dish. Enjoy a sweeter side to life? Lingonberries are popular for a reason! Bountiful in Swedish forests, this fruit pairs well with more than just meatballs. Swedes enjoy Lingonberries with pancakes as much as they enjoy them prepared as a condiment for meat dishes. Above all, finding these ingredients in nature keeps Swedes connected to the outdoors throughout the year and in all phases of life.

To learn about how to start your own foraging practice here in Minnesota, ASI has several courses available this fall. Learn from expert Maria Wesserle from Four Seasons Foraging all about what delicious and seasonal plants grow right here in the Twin Cities, and start cooking like a real Swede!