Page 122 - The Lost Ways

Cattails (Typha Latifolia, Typha angustifolia)

Perennial herb; harvest all year

Cattails grow all over the continent. They are plentiful and easy to find. You’ll most likely
find cattails near water. They like shallow water and marshlands the best. Identifying
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cattails should be easy. You will usually find old growth nearby, and this will prevent you
from mistaking them for their only poisonous lookalike: the wild iris, which looks
remarkably similar along the roots and stems, so be wary.

During the cold months, you can dig up roots. Roasted, these taste like a fibrous sweet
potato or squash. It only takes a few minutes on an open fire to cook these through. Skin
these roots and add them to your soup to thicken and add a satisfying starchiness.

In the early spring, you can dig at the roots to find dormant sprouts, which are edible raw.

As the season progresses, you can find these sprouts near the roots and leafy bases of the
plant. Similarly, young stalks can also be eaten raw. Simply pull up the plant and peel back
the leaves to reveal the young, tender core. Both the sprouts and the core can be eaten
alone or added to a salad.

The stalks and unripe blooms also make a great potherb, which is cooked in a little water
until tender. Use less time for the stalks and a little more for the unripe blooms. Again,
you’ll want to peel the outer leaves first—similar to an ear of corn—before cooking. In

16 Cattails (water plant ) - Faungg (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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