Is anyone familiar with edible moss?
When I was little my mother would cook the tree like growth that sprang from moss. It had a wonderful nutty mushroom flavor. I am trying to identity what this tree like moss was and where I can get it. I have to say they were even better than morel mushrooms.
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Fascinating...Nice posts, folks ! Looks like both types referenced here with links are edible.
I wonder if either are among the lichens that an award-winning sustainable bldg architect is now using the paint the roofs & upper surfaces of buildings with these days to cool the structures...once lichen adheres, it can be part of a structure for centuries...fascinating to see all the potential applications for this moss-like fungal/algae ! :)
Jeff, thanks for the idea. I am going to see if I can do some landscaping like vines growing on the house to retain the heat. I will have to research that paint. It sounds like it might fit into the Mediterranean theme I want for my house.
Boohoo, I found a picture of the reindeer moss cooked and I think I had a different kind. The moss I ate was like single sticks. I might send an email to chef Rene Redzepi, maybe he can identify the moss.
Grace, you got me curious. There is also an Icelandic Moss similar to Reindeer Moss.
The key point appears to be a 'plant' which is both a plant (green chloroyphyll) and fungus), which is what some lichens are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetraria_islandica
Thank you for posting - I knew some mosses were edible but never did any research. I learn something all the time on the VPA :-)
I did a quick search, it might be Reindeer moss?
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/reindeer_moss/reindeer.htm
Thank Jacq, the picture is very helpful, that might be it.