What an awesome read! I have to say I am so sad that nettle does not grow here where I live. Or I have never seen them yet. Thank you for sharing this! The rose just sounds delicious, I recently had some rose tea. It was just so soothing. And as @riverflows state, it is as if nature knows when different plants grow together!
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I always thought that nettles were pretty uniquitous, but of course there must be a couple of places in the world where they're not so prolific! ;-D Heheh! I was thinking too though, about how there is always an equivalent kind of plant with the same qualities in most parts of the world - so in Europe we might use garlic rather than turmeric. I wonder if anyone has done a guidebook about this? :-) And yes, our Nature knows too, if we can calm our mind and ego to hear her speak! Great conversations, I love these comment challenges!
That would be awesome right? A field guide of all or most herbs and how one can swop them for any reason one wants to. Or even just a cook book that shows you how to swop everyday ingredients to get you to explore local plants. Tzatziki made with purslane rather than cucumber; pesto made with wild rocket or dandelion leaves; and so on.
Yes! We make pesto in Scotland from rocket and walnuts rather than basil and pinenuts, as they are the ingredients found near us. :-D In the mountains (near me, in the Alta Sannio, Italy) it seems common to use wild garlic and walnuts in a pesto too - yum! Basil is yummy, but it is very nice to switch it up and have a variety of pestos to hand! I love your idea of purslane in tzaziki, @fermentedphil !
Glad I could share some wisdom and new ideas!
I love that idea, wild garlic pesto. I always add some garlic chives, but it is not the same! I think one can make some awesome pestos if you know local ingredients and when you use some creative thinking.
Nettles don't grow in Thailand either. My half-Thai daughter recently moved to Netherlands for university and was a little surprised to see me get some nettle stings. We all took some time to show her how to identify it so she doesn't inadvertently roll around in it and hurt herself - it was EVERYwhere at the horse farm we stayed at!!
Nettle and rose sounds like a magnificent combination! And beautifully balanced and synergistic.
Oh my, yes, I've seen foreign folk here in Italy grasping nettles, and not comprehending their power.... though this does have a therapeutic effect, so maybe their instinct led them to be stung!? 😉 Hehe.
I remember as a child on the island, not seeing nettles e.g. under tall bracken - and going in thigh-high. Yikes! At least there were always doc leaves nearby, which have a great immediate effect....
In fact, @theherbalhive - there's another divine pairing: nettles and doc leaves (rumex) - usually growing together - one antidoting the strong sting of the other. Blessed union, when one is wee and exploring nature uninhibitedly! 🥰