Spring Flavours: Ramson
By: Kiran Carter
Disclaimer: Ramson (wild garlic) can often be confused with the Lords and Ladies, which are poisonous. The key difference between the two is that the Lords and Ladies are clearly sparrow-tailed and have veins on the back of the leaf, whereas wild garlic does not. When foraging, keep safety in mind, do not pick what you do not recognise and always double check before consuming.
Human beings have foraged for wild foods for as long as we’ve walked. The idea of going out and picking your own food has only recently become a hobby. It used to just be a way of life, much like going to the supermarket or brushing your teeth. With the emergence of a food culture less tied to the seasons and more tied to trends, the skills needed to feed ourselves from that land that has always fed us are being lost, but there is still hope found in the plants whose edible nature remains common knowledge to a growing majority.
If you have ever had the privilege to walk through an English forest in early spring, then the scent of the ramson will be all too familiar to you. The ramson (often referred to as wild garlic) begins to shoot at the first hint of a sunny spring day, and in no time at all forest floors begin to be coated in the green floods. Not just pretty on the eyes, these plants are culinary super stars. The plant packs a strong punch of hearty garlic and an almost peppery after taste that brightens any springtime meal.
Where and when to find ramson?
Although you may find ramson being sold at the odd fancy farm shop, it would be silly to spend money on a plant that grows in such abundance across England. Foraging for it is easy and very safe. To start with you need to know what you are looking for and where to find it.
Ramson can be found from early spring until early summer but is best enjoyed before the plant flowers which usually happens in late-April. Depending on where you are in the country this may be a little later. The plant grows with most success on forest floors but may be found on shaded patches where forests meet fields. The best bet on finding a kitchen sized patch is to simply walk around your local forests. If you get a strong whiff of garlic, follow your nose, you can’t be far. I’ve found ramson to grow pretty reliably in the same place year after year, so once you find it, you’re set for life. Also, ramson has a tendency to grow in large patches, it will usually coat the entire floor of the forest, so finding enough for a proper feed is never an issue.
As with all foraging there a few rules you must always follow. Take only what you will eat and always be sure of what you are taking. As with the first rule, this is to avoid having a negative impact on the natural ecosystem. This applies much more to foraged foods which are not so commonly found. In the case of ramson you would be hard pushed to have a negative impact on such a common and successful plant. That being said its good practice to never take more than you need. If we all lived according to that principle the world would be a much better place.
Now for the second rule. Knowing what you are taking. This is for your health and the health of anyone you are cooking for. Wild foods can be delicious and a lot of fun but there is inherently more risk associated when taking your food from nature rather than the shelves of a supermarket. In the case of ramson they are generally very safe. The strong garlic scent cannot be confused with anything else. When the plant is fully grown it is unique, however when the plant is younger it could be confused with lord and the ladies. Lord and the ladies grow alongside ramson. Fully grown it is easy to distinguish between the two, the lords and the ladies having a veinlike structure and wider leaves than the ramson. However, when they are young it is possible to mistake the two. Lords and the ladies will cause irritation if consumed and should therefore not be eaten. To avoid any unfortunate stomach upset, be sure to pick your ramson one by one and not in big clumps. This avoids the odd leaf slipping in. Furthermore, if the plant you are picking is young, it doesn’t hurt to give it a sniff to be really sure of what you are taking. All in all though, ramson are a very safe plant to start with when foraging.
What to do with your freshly picked Ramson
When beginning to incorporate new wild foods into your daily diet it can be good to start slow. Ramson is not a background taste and even a couple leaves can transform any dish. I would encourage anyone to experiment with ramson, topping dishes, adding to salad, or just eating as its own side dish. For those after a little push here is a staple that can get you started on your ramson journey.
Ramson Dressing
Perfect to top pasta dishes, run through salads, or with a poached egg on toast - this is the versatile recipe to get you started. The dressing can be altered with any flavour combination you see fit. Also simply add any nut and you have a pesto.
Ingredients:
- Lemon
- Ramson
- Salt and Pepper
- Cold pressed rapeseed oil
Method:
Step 1: Place ramson, salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar or food processor. Crush or blend until a paste is formed.
Step 2: Add oil and mix in increments until the mixture has a slightly runny consistency.
Step 3: Add lemon to taste.
Below are photos of Ramson and Lords and Ladies, |
| Wild Garlic |
you can see the sparrow-tailed shape of the Lords and Ladies, as well as the veins on their leaves. On the other hand, a ransom leaf is flat, with no veins. The two grow in the same areas, and so are easily confused. Make sure to watch out for these differences whilst foraging. The Lords and Ladies are poisonous and cannot be consumed - do not consume any foraged plants that you are unsure of.
 |
| Lords and Ladies |
All photos provided by Steve and Kiran Carter.
