Wild edible plants and fungi in the region of Israel and Palestine have been used to sustain life in periods of scarcity and famine, or else simply used as a supplementary food source for additional nourishment and pleasure. The diverse flora of the region offers a wide range of plants suitable for human consumption, many of which have a long history of usage in the daily cuisines of its native peoples.
The local population has, traditionally and in various times of its settlement, made use of these plants, which they gathered for human consumption, whether to be eaten fresh or by steeping them in hot water, or by cooking, or by making use of them as a spice or condiment. All plants herein named are without regulation and can be utilised by the public, unless otherwise noted as protected under Israeli law.
According to Jewish tradition, the history of foraging dates back to the first man, Adam, whom after God had cursed and caused two species of thistle, qà Âá¹£ and dardar in Genesis 3:18, to spring-up from the ground, the same plants were given to him as food - had at leisure, along with his bread procured by his own sweat. The idea being that eating the wild plants is more convenient than preparing bread with all the work that precedes it. German orientalist Gustaf Dalman (1855âÂÂ1941) stated of foraging in Palestine, "[as] for all plants, the young growths of spring are used; for the thistles usually only the core and the stem." Foraging requires careful identification to avoid handling and/or eating noxious species. Some edible plants have parts that are allergenic or unfit for any human consumption, while some may require cooking.
Edible species include herbs, grasses, fungi, shrubs, and trees.
Many different fruit trees (e.g. grapes, figs, dates, olives, walnuts, plums, almonds, etc.) were cultivated in the country. Some of these trees and vines can still be found in abandoned villages and state-owned properties, which make them accessible to all.
Rarer varieties of fruit trees, such as wild medlars (Cotoneaster nummularius) and cherries, can be found in elevations of around on Mount Hermon.
The most common edible fruit trees in their geographic regions include:
Footnotes
Citations