The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America: Nature's Green Feast [Paperback]

Francois Couplan (Author), James Duke (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 11, 1998

From mushrooms to ferns, to trees and shrubs, nature offers a slew of healthy and tasty menu alternatives. We no longer have to limit ourselves to the 50 to 60 fruits and vegetables commonly grown in North America but can now learn and begin to enjoy more than 4,000 wild and delicious foods growing in our own back yards!

Noted ethnobotanist Dr. Francois Couplan has been teaching the uses of various fruits, nuts, and grains world wide since 1975 and has published more than 13 books about plants in both French and German. He has worked with world-renowned chefs including Jean-Georges Vongerichten in New York, to bring wild plants to gourmet menus and has been cooking with hundreds of different plants for the past thirty years. This title is not only a guide to intriguing and palatable edible plants based on the author's personal experiences but a unique pathway to appreciating nature.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

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Product Details

• Paperback: 584 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill or Keats Publishing; 1 edition (November 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879838213
• ISBN-13: 978-0879838218
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #479,456 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Gardening

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, but NOT a field guide, June 10, 1999

By 

devin vagt (ukiah,CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America: Nature's Green Feast (Paperback)

This book is big and almost too thorough. It really is like an encyclopedia. It includes lots of plants which are only marginally edible and hard to find. On the other hand, you will have a hard time finding an edible plant out there that is not listed. There are some illustrations, but they are not useful for identifying the plants -- you will definitely need a field guide if you are just getting started and don't know much about identification. The book is interspersed with historical information and anecdotes which add a lot to the whole picture of a plant, as well as making it a bit easier to remember. This book is best read in tandem with another book that takes the topic from a different perspective.

68 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Encyclopedia, best used as a cross reference., May 13, 2005

By 

Scott A (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America: Nature's Green Feast (Paperback)

This book is what it says it is, an encyclopedia. It provides very detailed descriptions on a very large database of plants. It would be close to impossible to use alone as a means of identifying plants in the field, so it is best used as a cross reference to a field guide. Recommended field guides would be "A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants: Eastern and Central North America" by the Petersons, and "Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West", By Gregory L. Tilford for the western region. I have all three of these, and use the two field guides for identification purposes, and the Encyclopedia for verification and usage.

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America, February 28, 2001

By 

Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America: Nature's Green Feast (Paperback)

The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America, by Francois Couplan, Ph.D. is "a reference for all people interested in learning about the numerous opportunities nature offers us in the form of healthful, intriguing, often delicious vegetables and fruits that we do not have to grow to enjoy."

Couplan provides information for approximately 4000 varieties of wild plants, much of it based on his personal experience.

An ethnobotanist, Couplan began writing his Encyclopedia 25 years ago. During that time he traveled extensively, spending "a lot of time in the woods with very little in my backpack, finding my food in the plants I gathered." He took copious notes and presented "wild gastronomy" workshops, while also continuing his academic research and studies.

Plants are listed by their Latin names, however the index includes the common names.

Information for each plant includes a rating of how edible it is, how abundant it is, and where it grows. Etymology of most names are provided also; thus readers learn that dandelion comes from the French words for lion's tooth, because of the shape of the leaves.

Couplan describes how to prepare edible parts of the plant, and how they taste. He also discusses the nutritive values and medicinal properties of each plant. Where relevant, he provides information on other uses, such as dyes, soaps, and basketry. Endangered species are noted. The book does not include illustrations and is not intended for use as an identification manual.

Anyone who has ever wondered if a particular plant could be eaten, or how to harvest and prepare it, will find The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America informative and interesting. People wishing to add a little variety to their diet will find lots of suggestions, and those who use plants for healing will appreciate the medicinal details.