Finding out about foraging

Posted on February 27, 2014

aqua kyoto chef Paul Greening with 'The Forager' Miles Irving

This week we were lucky enough to sit in on a meeting between aqua kyoto’s head chef Paul Greening and his long-time friend and collaborator Miles Irving, professional forager and author of The Forager Handbook. Miles was visiting from his base near Canterbury in Kent to catch up with Paul about the produce he supplies him with, as well as an exciting (and for now, secret!) project they’re working on together.

Foraging is a fascinating and entirely sustainable way of sourcing naturally-occurring, wild foodstuffs. The skills required include knowing where to look and what to look for, understanding the seasons (and tides, in the case of shoreline foraging) and having an understanding of what is safe to eat and what isn’t.

Paul and Miles have collaborated for over five years, and Miles helps Paul to forage for items traditionally used in Japanese cuisine, such as seaweeds and mugwort, which can be found growing in the wild in the UK. Miles first went foraging with his grandfather at the age of 6 and has now made it his profession – he certainly knows his stuff!

Later this year, we’ll be joining Paul and Miles on a foraging trip, on which Paul will not only forage for food but also cook it and share his recipes. In the meantime, you can enjoy Paul’s innovative Japanese dishes, many using foraged ingredients, in aqua kyoto.

For more information on Miles Irving and foraging, please visit his website. To book for aqua kyoto please head over to the About Us page on this blog.

Have you tried any of Paul Greening’s dishes using foraged ingredients? Ever been foraging yourself? Let us know in the Comments!