28 February,2025 09:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Divyasha Panda
Participants during a wild food walk in Bengaluru
Growing up, this writer would often be scolded by her parents for not eating enough greens. The sight of a leafy dish would often prompt us to flee from the table altogether. Though the situation has changed considerably over the years with us and many of our ilk, to the point where we subconsciously scan restaurant menus for dishes that have veggies or micro greens in them - one's vocabulary for the unknown, flavourful and nutritious herbs and plants that nature has to offer remains woefully limited. So, when we came across Forgotten Greens, an online project conducting a wild food walk in Kharghar for the first time in the city, it intrigued us.
A bunch of foraged greens. Pics courtesy/Forgotten Greens
"We have been organising these walks since 2019. The idea is to educate urban citizens about the wild edible greens that grow in their city, and change the perspective that food comes from supermarkets," Shruti Tharayil, the founder of the platform shares. What started as a passion project for Tharayil, based on her interest in plants and natural flora, has now scaled the length and breadth of the country. Tharayil hopes to sensitise people about urban ecology through these walks that are often followed by stories and recipes.
"There is a general misconception that if you want to experience nature in metropolises, you have to go to a village or take a trip to the outskirts of the city. We want to challenge that notion by taking people along on a jaunt where they can discover nature within a concrete jungle too. One just needs to develop an eye for it," she explains.
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(From left) Oxalis corniculata; dumplings made from mixed greens
Open to people of all age groups, the walks usually take place in public parks or community farms where participants engage and interact with each other to discover and relish these natural delights. "On these walks, we smell and taste the plants, talk about their properties and the various ways in which they can be cooked and grown. Once when I was conducting a wild food walk with school children in Gurgaon, we came across a tiny, sour-tasting plant called Oxalis corniculata [creeping woodsorrel]. The kids loved its flavour. Later, a boy came up to me, and asked if he could buy the plant from an online site," she shares amidst laughs. Tharayil adds that through the project they are keen to nudge people to relook at these offerings from our local ecosystems.
Shruti Tharayil
"Every city introduces a different set of flora and it is always fascinating to discover seasonal plants and unpack their properties in that locality. Last year in Bengaluru, we covered almost 12 plants in a very small patch of vegetation. It is interesting that you don't really need to scour a forest to know more about these plants and herbs. They are growing among us. As summer arrives, the vegetation will get very dry. We will return in the monsoon season to continue our walks," she concludes.
ON March 2; 4 pm to 6 pm
AT Earthen Routes Community Farm, behind St Jude India Childcare Center, Owe Camp, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.
REGISTER @forgottengreens (limited spots)
COST Rs 600 (for children between 5 to 15 years of age), Rs 1,250 (for adults)
