Some people might think “forager” is a nicer way of saying “dumpster diver.” But for Ava Chin, former writer of the Urban Forager column at The New York Times, foraging is not about digging for trash. It’s a way of life.
Chin has been foraging since she was a young girl. Raised by her single mother and Chinese grandparents in Flushing, Queens, she often found herself immersed in Chinese traditions both in and out of the kitchen. Over the years, food has become a source of comfort for Chin as it reminds her of the countless times she spent helping her grandfather in the kitchen. In fact, there were numerous occasions where her grandfather would take her along while he foraged for his ingredients.
In a discussion about her most recent book, “Eating Wildly: Foraging for Life, Love and the Perfect Meal” in the Old University Union on Thursday afternoon, Chin talked about her life as a forager and its significance in her life. Even though food has always had a place in her heart, it was not until Chin experienced foraging for herself that it became a part of her lifestyle.
“It helped me feel grounded in my surroundings,” Chin said.
After her grandma became seriously ill and she experienced a sudden breakup with the man she believed would be her husband, Chin set out on an emotional journey. She retreated to the parks and backyards of Brooklyn and New York City in search of fresh and edible plants and a sense of wisdom. It is through her experiences foraging that Chin began to see the world as a place of abundance and beauty.
“Eating Wildly” — named one of the best books of 2014 by Library Journal — emphasizes the importance of self-reliance in terms of both emotional and culinary sustainability as an alternative perspective to the general urban lifestyle. Through her various recipes, which incorporate ingredients like field garlic and wood ear fungus, Chin began to realize that immersing oneself in nature leads to self-discovery.
While Chin’s experience with foraging has been intensely personal, for others it can serve both medicinal and commercial purposes. A small fraction of foragers work for top chefs, bringing them the most natural and authentic plants to craft into gourmet meals for their customers. However, most are ordinary people, possibly first-generation immigrants, looking to practice the traditions of their homelands as Chin’s grandfather did.
Everyone has the ability to forage; according to Chin, it is just a matter of knowing where to look. She suggests staying away from buildings and traffic, since both can cause high levels of pollution. Additional advice includes consulting an expert and testing your knowledge of specific plants throughout the entire season before tasting. However, once enough information has been acquired, foraging for food can be a way to increase sustainability in the environment. It can even be romantic — on their second date, Chin and her now-husband went foraging for mushrooms.
“Foraging changed my life,” Chin said. “It is how I met my husband.”
In addition to writing a series of foraging-related essays, Chin now works as a professor at the College of Staten Island. However, this does not stop her from whipping up a delicious dinner using all foraged ingredients.
“It is my passion,” Chin said. And it doesn’t look like she’ll stop anytime soon.