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Old November 1, 2017   #6
bower
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
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Both articles really interesting.
I wonder if there are any mutants with lower alkaloids, since there's no chance of breeding with the cultivated potato.

I always find the pre-agriculture foods to be interesting and want to try them, but it doesn't take much experience before the superiority of cultivated types becomes really obvious - from an eating pov. The wild proto-foods have other advantages, like being perennial, or being adapted to specific environments etc. This is great if the drawbacks are really not too bad...

I have yet to find an "alternative" food that is really edible as more than a garnish.
I have a patch of sunchokes, for example - always compared to other (tasty!) foods, but in fact I doubt I could eat many of these, even if I was starving.
I have a giant lovage plant (always compared to celery - it is not!) and while I enjoy it once or twice a year it is a very strong flavored herb, not a vegetable.

Another one that tempted me, I haven't grown yet though, is the "skirret" - a perennial relative of carrot and parsnip. And still wondering if skirret is to parsnip as lovage is to celery.
https://www.restorationseeds.com/products/skirret

As "four corner" is to spuds?
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