On eating bark as a survival method (pay attention) ;-) : Native Americans included the inner bark of pines and other trees as an important part of their diet. Early foreign explorers of North America recorded finding acres of trees stripped of bark for food by the local inhabitants. The most edible and tasty part of the inner bark is that which is closest to the hard woody part of the tree (or furthest away from the outer bark if you prefer to look at it that way). The portion of the inner bark closest to the wood of the tree has an almost sweet taste. The closer the inner bark is to the outer bark of the tree the stringier and resinous it becomes. Raw white pine bark is too fibrous to eat very much of. You can chew it until your jaw hurts and it remains balled up in one large mass. However heat the bark to crispness, something like a potato chip you purchase as a snack from the grocery store, and the bark becomes a tasty treat. There are many choices of tree bark that can be eaten. In fact, the Native Americans used certain tree barks as dietary supplements. Some of the most popular edible choices would be aspen, birch, willow, maple, and pine trees which are very common in cities and forests alike. Consuming pine needles or brewing pine needle tea is a great preventative and cure for scurvy caused by lack of vitamin C in the diet. Yet thousands of people have died of scurvy while literally surrounded by whole forests of pine trees! This illustrates the fact that knowledge and the ability to apply it is an important key to survival. For the choicest strips of bark, be sure to go for the nutritious, tender inner layer known as the cambium. (Eating the outer bark would be no more pleasant than chomping into your bookshelf.) If some resin or gum oozes out as you pry off the main course, be sure to lap it up for quick energy. You can also chew on grass for added nutrients and hydration. In Sweden and Finland, Pine bark bread has been made for centuries from rye flour, with the toasted and ground inner layer of pine bark added. The Sami people of northern Europe used large sheets of Pine bark that were peeled from the trees in springtime, dried out and stored for use as a staple food throughout the year. This bark was reportedly consumed fresh, dried or roasted to a crisp. The bark is relatively nutritious, packing about 500-600 calories to the pound, but it may be bitter tasting depending on the species and the tree’s growing conditions. Most inner bark contains a surprising amount of digestible starches, some sugar, vitamins, minerals, and the bark also has tons of fiber, so brace yourself for a good internal scrubbing. (From various articles.)
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 03:58:32 +0000
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