Edible
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An edible item is any item that is safe for humans to eat. "Edible" is differentiated from "eatable" in that it does not indicate how an item tastes, only whether it is fit to be eaten. Nonpoisonous items found in nature - such as mushrooms, insects, seaweed, and so forth - are referred to as edible. Processed items that normally are not ingested but are specially manufactured to be so, like underwear or packaging, are also labeled as edible.[1]
Edible items in nature[edit]
It is estimated that approximately half of about 400,000 plant species on earth are edible, yet homo sapiens consume only about 200 plant species, because these are the simplest to domesticate.[2]
Edible plants found in nature include certain types of mushrooms, flowers, seeds, berries, seaweed, and cacti. Being able to identify the versions of these plants that are safe to eat is an important survival skill. The universal edibility test a 7-step, 24-hour process to identify plants that are safe to eat:
- Separate: Separate the plant into its five basic parts - leaves, roots, stems, buds and flowers.
- Contact: Perform a contact test by rubbing a plant part on your wrist or elbow and waiting 15 minutes for any reaction.
- Cook: Some plants become edible only after they have been boiled; skip this step if you do not have means to boil water.
- Taste: If there is no adverse reaction to contact, put the same plant part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes.
- Chew: If there is no adverse reaction to taste, chew the plant part and hold it in your mouth for another 15 minutes without swallowing.
- Swallow: If there is still no adverse reaction, swallow the plant part. Do not consume anything else for eight hours.
- Chow: If there are no adverse reactions after eight hours, gather approximately a quarter cup of the exact same part of the same plant and prepare it in the same way you did previously. Eat, and wait another eight hours.[3]
Many animals are also edible, including domesticated livestock as well as wild insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.[4] Advocates of the increase in consumption of edible insects cite the environmental benefits of being able to raise more food using less land while producing fewer greenhouse emissions. More than 1,900 insect species have been documented as being used for food, including ants and beetle larvae in the diets of some African and Australian tribes, and crispy-fried locusts and beetles enjoyed as street food in parts of Thailand.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ "Usage Notes: Putting 'Edible' and 'Eatable' on the Table". Merriam-Webster. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Warren, John (15 January 2016). "Why do we consume only a tiny fraction of the world's edible plants?". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Bryant, Charles W. (21 April 2008). "What is the universal edibility test?". How Stuff Works: Adventure. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Adi, Annis Catur; Andrias, Dini Ririn; et al. (2020). "The potential of using wild edible animals as alternative food sources among food-insecure areas in Indonesia". Journal of Health Research. 34 (3). Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- ^ Van Huis, Arnold; Van Itterbeeck, Joost; et al. (2013). "Edible insects: future prospects for food and feed security". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 171. Retrieved 22 December 2020.