Page 139 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Yerba Buena, Clinopodium

douglasii (LAMIACEAE)

YERBA BUENA, formally known as Satureja douglasii, is
a perennial ground cover that belongs to the mint fam-
ily, but has glossier leaves than other mints. It rarely
grows higher than 4 inches (10cm).
FLOWER: A single white or pale-yellow flower grows
directly from the square stem at leaf axis. The tubu-
lar-shaped flowers are composed of 3 lower petals, 1 up-
per, and 4 stamens and are no larger than ⅓ inch (10mm)
long. Yerba Buena flowers from late April to August.
docentjo
-2.0
Y
y
ce, C
C-B
LEAF: Underneath the leaves are tiny oil glands which, Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0 John Rusk, CC-BY -2.0
when crushed, produce a slight spearmint scent. Leaves tea, cooked with meat or mixed into a mocktail.
are rounded or oval and can form a dense cover. Leaves
YERBA BUENA YOGURT SAUCE: Ingredients: ½ cup
can grow to 1 inch (2.5cm) long.
of fresh leaves, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. lemon
EDIBLE PARTS: leaves and stems juice, 1 tbsp. wholegrain mustard, 1 tbsp. fresh pars-
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Yerba Buena has been approved ley, salt, pepper. Combine all of the ingredients in a
in small quantities in many countries as a treatment to dish, and serve on top of chicken breast or fish.
relieve aches and pain due to its analgesic properties. WARNING: Large doses of yerba buena can cause
This includes arthritis, muscle pain and headaches. vomiting.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest leaves any time POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Creeping Pennyroyal,
of the year, but for best results, harvest before it has Menta pulegium - has a similar aroma and creeping
started to flower. Eat leaves fresh in a salad, brewed into habit, but has multiple purple flowers.

Yerba Mansa, Anemopsis

californica (SAURURACEAE)

YERBA MANSA or Lizard Tail is a perennial that grows
up to 1 ft. (0.3m) high, preferring silty, sandy soil in bog-
gy areas. It often grows in dense blankets along streams
cultivar413, CC-BY-2.0
and marshes.
FLOWER: The large white bracts of the flower are usu-
ally about 1 ½ inches (4cm) long. These bracts can be
mistaken for petals, but actually they hold the upright
inflorescence, which is a cone of 100 tiny clustered flow-
ers. This cone produces a hard seed pod. Yerba Mansa
flowers from March to September. Stan Shebs, CC-BY-SA-3.0
LEAF: The waxy blue-green leaves have a strong aroma,
into a flour and used in a variety of baked goods.
similar to a mixture of camphor, clove and eucalyptus.
YERBA MANSA BREAD: Ingredients: 1 cup dried
They grow vertically straight from the root like spinach,
ground seeds, 1 cup flour, 1 packet instant yeast, 2
up to 6 inches (15cm) long, and turn red in the cooler
tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 cup warm water. Mix
months.
the ground seed, flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add
EDIBLE PARTS: leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds
the olive oil. Slowly add the water until it turns into
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Yerba Mansa essential oil is a dough. Transfer dough to a worksurface covered in
effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus flour to knead the bread. Cover the bread and leave
pneumoniae, and Geotrichim candidum. it to rise in a warm location for at least 1h. Re-knead

HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Roots have a peppery the bread for another minute and then place in a
taste when raw, which diminishes when cooked. Leaves bread baking tin to rise for 1h. Cook in the oven for
are best harvested when young. Seeds can be ground 25-30 min. at 210°F (100°C).
138