Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Pascal Baudar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Pascal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
One of my earliest memories is that of my grandmother taking me into the local forest to pick dandelions and nettles. I was probably 4 years old at the time, and I vividly recall that magical day and the bunny rabbit that hopped in front of me. Now, 58 years later, as a wildcrafter and artist, I still wander the forest in search of edible plants, mushrooms, wild berries, and fruits, as well as wild clay for making pottery and rocks for creating glazes.
Having been a forager, wildcrafter, and teacher for most of my life, I perceive my connection to the environment and nature as an intimate relationship and an art form. My current work with wild edibles and the use of materials collected from the environment blends culinary and visual arts into a cohesive and uniquely personal aesthetic.
What sets me apart from others is my extensive use of traditional food preservation techniques applied to the items I collect. I brew traditional beers with local wild plants, ferment mushrooms, create wines with wild berries, and transform nuts and grains into plant-based cheeses, among other things.
The majority of my work centers around non-native and invasive wild edibles, seeking ways to turn them into nutritious, delicious, and healthy foods. One of my goals is to research and create a cuisine that is not only sustainable but also beneficial to the environment.
Pascal, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve been teaching wild edibles and traditional food preservation techniques for the last 20 years.
Most of my classes and workshops are in the Los Angeles area.
During my classes, I take people to various (wild) places and teach them the culinary and medicinal uses of the plants we see. My main focus is definitely on the countless non-native and invasives plants which can be found in Southern California and particularly the Los Angeles area.
I would say that over 90% of what I collect are unwanted plants which are often crops in different countries. A good example would be invasive plants like black mustard, European stinging nettles, wild radish and so on. I teach people how to recognize those plants and turn them into gourmet food.
Locally, the usual way to deal with those invasive and non-native plants is to spray chemicals like Round-Up which can pollute the environment or do “Habitat Restoration” which means that those resources are simply removed then thrown away.
From my perspective, I would say that one of the biggest food waste in the Los Angeles area, is not using those resources. With the current economy and increase in food prices, having the knowledge of which plants can be eaten is quite valuable too.
I also offer fun workshops on traditional food preservation techniques such as fermentation, how to make wild beers, wines and sodas, making your own gourmet vinegars from scratch, various canning methods and so on.
Twice a month, I also offer online classes via zoom.
Author:
I have written 4 books so far, my latest book called “Wildcrafted Vinegars” was released around October 2022. I’m currently working on a book about edible wild grains and seeds. All my other books have been amazon bestsellers in several categories and continue to be popular to this day. Think of them as books of ideas, concepts and methods which can be applied to your local environment, it doesn’t matter if you live in Europe, Asia, North or South America, Australia or anywhere else in the world.
The books I have written are: (Also includes the online information from Amazon)
2022 – Wildcrafted Vinegars:
Award-winning author and forager Pascal Baudar uncovers incredible flavors and inspiring recipes to create unique, place-based vinegars using any landscape.
Includes more than 100 delicious, easy recipes for quick pickles, soups, sauces, salad dressings, beverages, desserts, jams, and more!
After covering yeast fermentation (The Wildcrafting Brewer) and lactic acid fermentation (Wildcrafted Fermentation), pioneering food expert Pascal Baudar completes his wild fermentation trilogy by tackling acetic acid ferments and the wide array of dishes you can create with them. Baudar delves deeply into the natural world for wild-gathered flavors: herbs, fruits, berries, roots, mushrooms–even wood, bark, and leaves–that play a vital part in infusing distinctive gourmet-quality vinegars.
More than 100 recipes show how to use homemade vinegars to make a wide range of delicious foods: quick pickles, soups, sauces, salad dressings, beverages, desserts, jams, and other preserves.
Recipes include: Pine, fir, and spruce-infused vinegar Smoked mushroom and seaweed vinegar Blueberry-mugwort vinegar Wilder curry vinaigrette Wasabi ginger vinegar sauce Pickled walnuts Mountain oxymel And many more!
Once you’ve mastered the basic methods for making and aging vinegars at home, you might be inspired to experiment on your own and find local plants that express the unique landscape and terroir wherever you happen to live. Or you might decide to forage for ingredients in your own garden or at a local farmers market instead.
Either way, Pascal Baudar is an experienced and encouraging guide to safe and responsible wild-gathering and food preservation.
2020 – Wildcrafted Fermentation:
“I am in awe of this book”―Sandor Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation
Wild krauts and kimchis, fermented forest brews, seawater brines, plant-based cheeses, and more with over 100 easy-to-follow recipes!
Featured in The Independent’s (UK) “7 Best Fermentation Books of 2020”
One of the most influential tastemakers of our time invites you on an extraordinary culinary journey into the lacto-fermentation universe of common wild edibles. Used for thousands of years by different cultures all around the world, lacto-fermentation is the easiest, safest, and most delicious way to preserve food. And nature provides all the necessary ingredients: plants, salt, and the beneficial lactic acid bacteria found everywhere.
In Wildcrafted Fermentation, Pascal Baudar describes in detail and through step-by-step color photos how to create rich flavorful ferments:
At home
From the wild plants in your local landscape
From the cultivated plants in your garden
From sauerkrauts and kimchis to savory pastes, hot sauces, and dehydrated spice blends, Baudar includes more than 100 easy-to-follow, plant-based recipes to inspire even the most jaded palate. The step-by-step photos illustrate foraging, preparation, and fermentation techniques for both wild and cultivated plants that will change your relationship to the edible landscape and give you the confidence to succeed like a pro.
So much more than a cookbook, Wildcrafted Fermentation offers a deeply rewarding way to reconnect with nature through the greens, stems, roots, berries, fruits, and seeds of your local terroir. Adventurous and creative, this cookbook will help you rewild your probiotic palate and “create a cuisine unique to you and your environment.”
2018 – The Wildcrafting Brewer:
Primitive beers, country wines, herbal meads, natural sodas, and more
“Baudar has elevated the concept of terroir into the realm of extreme beverages, both fermented and unfermented. His book brings to life the innovative quest of the Palaeolithic shaman/healer/brewer.”―Patrick E. McGovern, author of Ancient Brews
Fermentation fans and home brewers can rediscover “primitive” drinks and their unique flavors in The Wildcrafting Brewer. Wild-plant expert and forager Pascal Baudar’s first book, The New Wildcrafted Cuisine, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for readers wishing to explore and capture the flavors of their local terroir. The Wildcrafting Brewer does the same for fermented drinks.
Baudar reveals both the underlying philosophy and the practical techniques for making your own delicious concoctions, including:
Wild sodas
Country wines
Primitive herbal beers
Meads
Traditional ferments like tiswin and kvass.
The book opens with a retrospective of plant-based brewing and ancient beers. The author then goes on to describe both hot and cold brewing methods and provides lots of interesting recipes; mugwort beer, horehound beer, and manzanita cider are just a few of the many drinks represented. Baudar is quick to point out that these recipes serve mainly as a touchstone for readers, who can then use the information and techniques he provides to create their own brews, using their own local ingredients.
The Wildcrafting Brewer will attract herbalists, foragers, natural-foodies, and chefs alike with the author’s playful and relaxed philosophy. Readers will find themselves surprised by how easy making your own natural drinks can be, and will be inspired, again, by the abundance of nature all around them.
“With gorgeous photos and clear technical details, this book will be a source of great inspiration.”―Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation
2016 – The New Wildcrafted Cuisine
“A beautiful book, loaded with recipes and techniques for preserving and eating wild plants.”―Saveur
“A gorgeous book . . . . [Baudar’s] methods, ideas, and aesthetics . . . are truly inspirational.”―Sandor Ellix Katz, author of The Art of Fermentation
With detailed recipes for ferments, infusions, spices, and more!
The New Wildcrafted Cuisine explores the flavors of local terroir, combining the research and knowledge of plants and landscape with the fascinating and innovative techniques of a master food preserver and self-described “culinary alchemist.”
Author Pascal Baudar views his home terrain of southern California (mountain, desert, chaparral, and seashore) as a culinary playground, full of wild plants and other edible and delicious foods (even insects) that once were gathered and used by native peoples but that have only recently begun to be re-explored and appreciated.
For instance, he uses various barks to make smoked vinegars, and combines ants, plants, and insect sugar to brew primitive beers. Stems of aromatic plants are used to make skewers. Selected rocks become grinding stones, griddles, or plates. Even fallen leaves and other natural materials from the forest floor can be utilized to impart a truly local flavor to meats and vegetables, one that captures and expresses the essence of season and place.
This beautifully photographed book offers up dozens of creative recipes and instructions for preparing a pantry full of preserved foods, including:
Pickled Acorns
White Sage-Lime Cider
Wild Kimchi Spice
Currant Capers
Infused Salts with Wild Herbs
Pine Needles Vinegar
Wild Beers
And much, much more!
Readers everywhere can apply Baudar’s deep foraging wisdom and experience to explore their own bioregions and find an astonishing array of plants and other materials that can be used in their own kitchens.
The New Wildcrafted Cuisine is an extraordinary book by a passionate and committed student of nature, one that will inspire both chefs and adventurous eaters to get creative with their own local landscapes.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I employ social media as a successful tool to disseminate my message, actively engaging on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. My strategy involves openly explaining and sharing the diverse recipes and processes behind my culinary creations. Over the years, I’ve garnered a substantial number of active followers who frequently participate in my online workshops.
Through social media, I effectively convey the importance of utilizing resources from unwanted plants and transforming them into delectable dishes.
In addition to my culinary endeavors, I’ve established another Instagram account dedicated to my pottery work crafted with foraged wild clays and glazes derived from natural materials like rocks and plant ashes. You can find the account here: https://www.instagram.com/wildcraftedceramics/
Initially inspired by Neolithic European pottery, my pottery style has evolved over time to draw inspiration primarily from nature. Using raw, unprocessed clay, my pottery pieces authentically represent the land. I often incorporate various materials into my creations, such as cordage made from local plant fibers, repurposing old rusty wires found in the desert, and recycling deadwood for teapot handles.
I find it fascinating to craft a cuisine that not only benefits the environment using local resources but also includes recipes served in clay from the same soil where the plants grew. It completes a full circle of sustainability and connection to nature.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
My fascination with traditional food preservation techniques stemmed from an experiment I conducted around 2008. Equipped with my basic knowledge of wild food, I embarked on a year-long journey to eat exclusively wild edibles.
This venture into the realm of wild flavors and their nutritional possibilities proved to be easier said than done, with numerous ups and downs, a few failures, and a significant weight loss. Despite the challenges, the experiment was enthralling, leading me to the realization that wildcrafting is fundamentally about food preservation techniques.
In the modern world, people often take for granted the ease of obtaining vegetables and fruits throughout the year, thanks to imports and advanced methods of food production. However, nature operates differently, with plants undergoing various stages such as sprouts, micro-greens, fully grown plants with edible leaves, and ultimately transitioning into seeds. Some plants also bear berries and fruits, but these are highly seasonal, disappearing once their growth cycle concludes.
For instance, in Los Angeles, everything transforms into a desert during and after summer. Therefore, it becomes imperative to learn and employ traditional food preservation techniques to safeguard the harvest, enabling the enjoyment of collected bounty even when nature’s offerings have vanished.
Acquiring expertise in food preservation techniques took years of learning and experimentation. Initially, I completed the “Master Food Preservation Program” at the University of California to grasp modern food preservation and safety principles before delving into the study of old methods.
At this point, I employ over 20 different preservation methods, blending both old and new techniques to preserve my wild food. Applying these methods to wild edibles became an exhilarating culinary adventure. In the early stages, I pioneered unique techniques such as fermenting plants like cattail or mushrooms, crafting cheese with acorns, brewing beers with forest plants, and transforming wild wines into vinegars.
Throughout this process, I also learned how to forage wild bacteria and yeast from nature, enhancing my ability to create fermented preserves.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.urbanoutdoorskills.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pascalbaudar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pascal.baudar