Lost and foraged: Rediscovering India’s wild ingredients

Across India, chefs are stepping into the wilderness for ingredients that bring depth and tradition to their menus. Seaweed from the Konkan coast is turning into chutneys, wild mushrooms from Himachal are landing on tasting menus, and even serveware is getting a rustic makeover with pine bark replacing ceramic plates. As World Wildlife Day (today) celebrates biodiversity, foraging—the practice of gathering food from nature—is seen beyond a trend. It’s a practice rooted in India’s culinary past. In cities, however, it still feels like a rediscovery rather than a way of life.

For chef Thomas Zacharias, foraging was a revelation. “My first foraging experience was a game-changer. A few years into running The Bombay Canteen, I came across OOO Farms’ Wild Food Festival in Mumbai. It blew my mind that just 100 km from the city, there were indigenous ingredients I had never cooked with. Tasting kena and pendhra for the first time, I realised we weren’t just losing flavours; we were losing entire food traditions. That day rewired the way I saw food. ,” he says.

Similarly, Chef Vanika Choudhary recalls, “I often went with my maternal grandmother to pick nadru/lotus stem. We would take the shikara and go towards the Nigeen lake during autumn to pick the best nadru which we would bring back home.”

Are diners open to it?

“Diners are quite open to foraged foods since the concept isn’t new in India,” says Chef Kunzes Angmo from Ladakh. “Many people recall their grandparents foraging herbs for chutneys or seasonal dishes. It’s a tradition that’s always been part of our food culture.”

Foraging isn’t limited to exotic ingredients—it includes everyday staples like curry leaves, often picked from roadsides or shared gardens. “If you’re not growing it, you’re foraging it,” says Angmo. “Foraged ingredients are familiar, just presented in a new way.”

She also points out the irony of perception — what is rustic and traditional in local communities transforms into luxury when plated in high-end restaurants: “A simple wild herb, free for all in a village, becomes a delicacy with a price tag when served in a fine-dining setting.”

What shapes the price tag?

“Pricing of these dishes depends more on the time and effort involved rather than just the rarity of ingredients,” says Angmo.

“Pricing is tricky. One season, linguda (fiddlehead ferns) are everywhere; the next, they’re impossible to find. It’s crucial to price with fairness in mind—paying foragers what they deserve while ensuring we don’t drive overharvesting. These ingredients are community lifelines, not commodities to be exploited. Respecting the land and the people who depend on it comes before fancy plating,” says Zacharias.

How is climate change affecting it?

Climate change is shifting when and where wild plants grow. “Winters are shorter, summers are longer,” says Angmo. “With shifting tree lines, melting glaciers, and water scarcity, plants are disappearing, forcing us to search farther for ingredients.” This unpredictability makes preservation vital. “I have always relied on sun and shade drying to store food for extreme winters,” Angmo adds.

Chef Madhusmita Soren from Odisha warns of overharvesting. “Red ants, used for red ant chutney, are facing decline, disrupting ecosystems and traditional food sources,” she says.

On the other hand, Zacharias says, “When a wild ingredient vanishes, I don’t replace it. I highlight its absence. A missing ingredient can spark conversations about why it’s disappearing. I also collaborate with Forest Post in Kerala, Wild Harvest in Jharkhand, Hill Wild in Manipur, and NESFAS in Meghalaya to understand what’s still thriving and how communities are adapting.”

Foraging done right

“Foraging must be done responsibly,” says Kush Sethi, who relies on guides, plant communities, and Google Lens for identification. But trial and error can be risky—once, he nibbled on a Cissus quadrangularis vine and experienced severe throat itching.

While India lacks urban foraging regulations, reserved forests control access to Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). “Foraging for self-consumption isn’t governed, but some areas have restrictions,” he explains.

Nutritionally, wild foods vary. Though pesticide-free, they can absorb heavy metals in polluted areas. Unlike farmed produce, foraged ingredients are potent in flavour and nutrition — best consumed in moderation.

Foraged goodness

Foraging offers a diverse range of edible plants and fungi, including wild mushrooms, nettles, dandelion greens, amaranth, fiddlehead ferns, moringa, wild berries, purslane, sorre, and seaweed. In India, ingredients like tamarind, mahua flowers and roselle leaves are also foraged, valued for their rich flavours, medicinal properties, and cultural significance.