Food, healing powers, protection, buzz – nature has provided people with everything they need to live. This is still the case today. But many of us don’t know the plants in our native nature anymore and don’t know how to use them and what they contain.
As a trained herbalist, Sonja Greimel knows exactly what she is teaching about the diverse and often amazing uses of wild herbs in her workshops. She is also the author of the book “Raus in die Botanik” (published by Südwest Verlag).
Wild plants are full of flavor and healing power and some of them contain much more than we are used to from conventional, plant-based foods. Therefore, one should approach the new flavors and ingredients accordingly, according to the motto to try out in small quantities to find one’ s individual herbal dose for oneself.
Do you have to be brave to collect plants and herbs? No, you don’t! No, it lies in our disposition as hunter-gatherers. You should rather be careful and follow a few other principles when collecting plants: Suitable are meadows, wastelands and parks. Provided that they are not dog miles. Only take plants that you can be 100 percent sure of and don’t just walk cross-country, destroying the insects and plants that live there. Nature reserves are taboo, “private” markings are to be respected.
Sonja’s book tells you how to collect and value. The subheading says “the wild plant handbook” and so it offers collecting hacks, recipes, wonderful illustrations, a seasonal collecting calendar and much more. Sonja Greimel has been a communication and creative expert in the sports and outdoor industries for twenty years and is a specialist in sustainability communication.A native of Munich, she has been a trained herbalist since 2011 and offers herbal hikes and workshops, including for the German Alpine Club. Sonja gives a few hacks and tips in our new guide “Voralpen” – Handmade Quality.
Photos: Hans Herbig, Sonja Greimel
JOURNAL. What you might want to know…
Doing something by hand can change a lot. Buying something handmade out of conviction can do the same. It changes – or has already changed – the way we think. Especially when it comes to our food. What do we buy? Who made it? What can we perhaps grow ourselves? How do our actions and decisions change, first ourselves, then our purchases, then the landscape?
Every sourdough – that culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water – is unique, like a fingerprint, because in every region there are individual bacteria in the air that give each loaf its very own flavour. One person who knows more about the infinite variety of sourdough cultures than most – whose culture is culture, so to speak – is the Belgian Karl De Smedt, keeper and archivist of Europe’s only sourdough library.
It’s virtually impossible to miss Julius Brantner Brothandwerk if you’re a fan of baked goods and find yourself in Munich. The charming Swabian baker has recently opened his second location, the first being such a success. With his team working transparently behind large glass windows, Julius strives to make “honest and trustworthy handling of all ingredients and processes accessible,” he says. Unsurprisingly, locals and tourists flock to the shopfront to sample their aromatic bread and delectable treats.
SHOP. Our latest releases….
FINDER. Find your maker…
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