Foraging in the Wild with Langdon Cook

Pacific golden razor clam
Pacific golden razor clam – from one of Langdon’s classes

Langdon Cook is a forager – seeking wild foods hidden within the riotous cacophony of nature. He has been described as a walking field guide, a gifted storyteller, and the Henry David Thoreau of his generation.

In this episode, we explore the foraging impulse along with the subcultures forming around it. Whether it is done for the thrill of the hunt, to retrieve unusual delicacies, or to simply enjoy one’s time in nature – foraging asks us to slow down, sharpen our senses, and take in the world around us.

Cooking in the wild
Cooking in the wild

Langdon shares some of the spectacular experiences he’s had – whether deep in emerald forests or enjoying meals using the treasures he has found. We discuss his adventures searching for morel mushrooms, hunting for lingcod underwater, having his food prepared for him in China, and even picking dandelions in urban areas.

Langdon Cook with a geoduck
Langdon with a geoduck

Ultimately, foraging helps us appreciate the full spectrum of our sensory experience. We move from the fluorescent-lit aisles of our neighborhood grocery stores – and the standardized flavors contained within them – into an all-encompassing, dense wonderland containing a plurality of flavors and textures that will be new to us.

There is this atavistic impulse – these ancestral buttons that the act of foraging pushes.

I think we all have these impulses, it’s just a matter of how many layers of civilization have been papered over them.

Blonde morel mushrooms
Blonde morel mushrooms emerging from “the burn”
Burned out forest in the Cascades Range
Burned out forest in the Cascades Range – a prime location for morel hunting

Show Links

Langdon Cook’s Website

Foraging Expeditions and Classes with Langdon Cook

Langdon’s books (Amazon):


Credits
Podcast intro music: “Mister S” by Luc Marcotte
Podcast exit music: “Neogrotesque” by Luc Marcotte
Photographs courtesy of Langdon Cook
…with the exception of
“Blonde Morel Mushrooms” and “Burned Out Forest” – © by Eric Parkinson
Taken with a Fujifilm X-T1

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