Not just skyscrapers: the Japanese capital is a much greener city that most people imagine. Let’s discover the best Tokyo parks and gardens from autumn to spring, and anytime in between.
Why use wild herbs in cooking
Edible wild herbs grow in meadows, on the edge of orchards and paths. They are tasty spontaneous plants rich in active ingredients. Let’s learn how to use them in cooking.
Versatile and tasty wild herbs purify and stimulate the body. Our ancestors knew this well and used wild herbs a lot, but over the years this habit has changed. Maybe because we’re accustomed to eat the same things: nowadays, some thirty plants cover 95% of global food requirements. Eating spontaneous plants increases the range of nutrients and other beneficial substances that we take through food and allows us to rediscover the flavours of ancient times that are surprisingly tasty.
Here are some of the most common wild plants that can be used in cooking.
Nettle
It is rich in amino acids, proteins, mineral salts, vitamins. It is cooked in the same way as spinach but get your gloves on when you touch it.
Verdolaga
It grows in damp and sunny places. Its tender leaves are juicy and fleshy and are good both raw or cooked in salads. It’s a great source of vitamin C, it’s refreshing and depurative and keeps cholesterol levels under control.
Lungwort
It has leaves with white spots and is excellent to prepare soups. The fresh juice of its leaves contains a large amount of vitamin A and C. The plant is harvested before it blooms.
Dandelion
Its raw or cooked leaflets purify the body, provide it with vitamins, protect the liver and brighten up the skin. Its flower buds are pickled like the capers.
Wood violet
It has scented violet flowers that are harvested as soon as they bloom and added without stalk to salads or used to prepare tasty ice cream. They can be dried in a well-aired, dark and warm place and kept in a glass pot in a dark place.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
The 2016 edition of the International Day of Peace, established to end hostilities, is devoted to sustainable development.
Seoullo 7017 is a new pedestrian walkway built on what was an old and dangerous overpass in Seoul. A symbol of the city’s green transformation.
Palestinians use 70 litres of water a day each on average, Israelis consume 280. Why is this? A deep insight into the Israeli-Palestinian water conflict.
Antarctic ice sheets are melting more quickly than predicted. Can this motivate the urgent changes that we need to thrive in a warming world, protecting cities from sea level rise?
Trees play an important role in reducing emissions and smog in big cities. There are species that are more suited for this purpose, here are a few.
Nature never sleeps. And when we can’t take a break from cold temperatures, there are plants that can colour our winter garden.
Water management is a major challenge for cities. Green infrastructure such as rain gardens can improve the management of the quantity and quality of city stormwater.
In the US, 72 percent more organic food on our tables. California ranks first in the top ten organic States, but the market is booming all across the country.