Fruits & Vegetable week: Iceland Moss

[Na Bha]

Iceland Moss Cetraria islandica is not a moss, but lichen, a symbiotic association between algae and fungus.

is a circumpolar plant abundant throughout the arctic and mountains regions of the northern countries. It is found on the mountains of north Wales, north England, Scotland and south-west Ireland. In North America its range extends through Arctic regions, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and south in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado, and to the Appalachian Mountains of New England.

 

lant Parts Used: The whole plant. The lichen may be gathered throughout the year; during the dry weather between May and September is best. It can be dried for later use by removing loose debris and drying it in direct sun or shade. Cetraria islandica is available as a dried whole plant, and as powdered herb extract.

 

I don't have my own fotos,  because when I visited Iceland digital cameras were not yet there. I have some slides, but it take quite some time till I have digitalized all slides.

But dishes of Icelan moss (soup, dessert etc. ) are very tasty, and the moss has a flavour like cardamom.

Here http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/iceland-moss.html    you can find more Information and one Pic.

Regards

Nalini

 

[Pankaj Kumar]

Thats a nice information mam. I assume we should keep lichens among spices.

I have seen people selling Lichens at very high rates in Delhi market
as spices, and these plants are being extracted on a very large scale
from temperate regions in Himalaya (I am just talking about Indian
Lichen market).

Just to add, lichens are one of the preferred food of Musk Deer in Himalayas.

Pankaj

--
***********************************************
"TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"

Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
Research Associate
Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
Department of Habitat Ecology
Wildlife Institute of India
Post Box # 18
Dehradun - 248001, India

[Na Bha]

lichens is also favorite food of reindeers. Behind polarcircle the feed only
on lichens, especially in winter. The reindeers are undemanding anf find
enough lichens under snow.
I don't know if all lichens are edible!
Nalini

[Pankaj Kumar]

Thats great. Thanks a lot for the information mam.
Pankaj

[Madhuri Pejaver]

one liken used in spices in Marathi called as "Dagadful"
Madhuri

--- On Wed, 12/1/11, Pankaj Kumar <sahani...@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Pankaj Kumar <sahani...@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:60157] Fruits & Vegetable week: Iceland Moss
> To: "Na Bha" <nabha-...@gmx.de>
> Cc: indian...@googlegroups.com

[Na Bha]

Yes Madhuri ji,
It is used in Masala. I don't know if one makes dessert or soup from
Dagadful. I think another ingrediant of masala is sarate, write?
Are these things used nowadays in masala or has masala also become
fast-masala?
Regards
Nalini

[Mahadeswara]

Many might not know that lichens come up only in a pollution free
environment. They are bio-indicators of pollution free environment!.

> Herehttp://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/iceland-moss.html   you can find more Information and one Pic.
> Regards
> Nalini

[Katarina]

Raindeers does not exclusively feed on lichens. If there are more
"juicy" alternatives they choose those, which means in summer all
sorts of grass and herbs. In winter it is more difficult to find grass
due to the snow. They try to dig into the snow as long as possible for
species like Cladina rengiferina, C. arbuscula and C. stellaris but
switch to epiphytic lichens when the snow cover is too deep.
Alectoria, Bryoria and Usnea are the thread like genera that can be
seen hanging in old growth conifer forests. The modern forestry is a
problem as lichens not will grow as fast as the trees. Therefore the
indigenous Sami-people that heard raindeers nowadays feed their
animals with regular hay during parts of the winter.

There is at least one poisonous species of lichen: Lethraria vulpina.
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letharia_vulpina

My personal experience of eating lichens is not soo good. I once tried
to make bread by using Cetraria islandica carefully following a
recipe, but it became very dry and bitter. For using the edible
species it is a matter of removing the bitter substances to improve
the taste but I can understand that in times of famine the use in
bread was appreaciated.

I have never heard of lichens used as spices in the nordic countires.

Regards
Katarina Stenman
Sweden (64 degrees north)

On 12 Jan, 17:58, "Na Bha" <nabha-megh...@gmx.de> wrote:
> lichens is also favorite food of reindeers. Behind polarcircle the feed only
> on lichens, especially in winter. The reindeers are undemanding anf find
> enough lichens under snow.
> I don't know if all lichens are edible!
> Nalini
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pankaj Kumar" <sahanipan...@gmail.com>
> To: "Na Bha" <nabha-megh...@gmx.de>
>
> Cc: <indian...@googlegroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 5:37 PM
> Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:60157] Fruits & Vegetable week: Iceland Moss
>
> Thats a nice information mam. I assume we should keep lichens among spices.
>
> I have seen people selling Lichens at very high rates in Delhi market
> as spices, and these plants are being extracted on a very large scale
> from temperate regions in Himalaya (I am just talking about Indian
> Lichen market).
>
> Just to add, lichens are one of the preferred food of Musk Deer in
> Himalayas.
>
> Pankaj
>

> On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 9:45 PM, Na Bha <nabha-megh...@gmx.de> wrote:
> > Iceland Moss Cetraria islandica is not a moss, but lichen, a symbiotic
> > association between algae and fungus.
> > is a circumpolar plant abundant throughout the arctic and mountains
> > regions
> > of the northern countries. It is found on the mountains of north Wales,
> > north England, Scotland and south-west Ireland. In North America its range
> > extends through Arctic regions, from Alaska to Newfoundland, and south in
> > the Rocky Mountains to Colorado, and to the Appalachian Mountains of New
> > England.
>
> > lant Parts Used: The whole plant. The lichen may be gathered throughout
> > the
> > year; during the dry weather between May and September is best. It can be
> > dried for later use by removing loose debris and drying it in direct sun
> > or
> > shade. Cetraria islandica is available as a dried whole plant, and as
> > powdered herb extract.
>
> > I don't have my own fotos, because when I visited Iceland digital cameras
> > were not yet there. I have some slides, but it take quite some time till I
> > have digitalized all slides.
> > But dishes of Icelan moss (soup, dessert etc. ) are very tasty, and the
> > moss
> > has a flavour like cardamom.

> > Herehttp://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/iceland-moss.htmlyou can

> > find more Information and one Pic.
> > Regards
> > Nalini
>
> --
> ***********************************************
> "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!"
>
> Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae)
> Research Associate
> Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project
> Department of Habitat Ecology
> Wildlife Institute of India
> Post Box # 18

> Dehradun - 248001, India- Dölj citerad text -
>
> - Visa citerad text -

[Na Bha]

Thank you very much Katharina, for this interesting information.
My last trip to Iceland was in 199?. We ate a dessert made of Fjallagr�s,
some local people told me that I could collect Fjallagr�s, but I preffered
to buy it and made dessert with milk and suger back home. In the summer of
1996 we travelled thru Lapland. There we ate soup of Lichens (according to
the menu card). I collected some lichens there, but for decoration, not for
eating.
I am glad, you have joined the group. You, native of scandinavia, can add or
correct my information, which I collect in my holidays.

When I think of Sweden, I remember the nice trip on G�ta kanal.

Regards
Nalini
Ritterhude / Germany
53.183 degrees north.

> Dehradun - 248001, India- D�lj citerad text -

[Madhuri Pejaver]

I have not drunk soup of Lichen, nor heard too.
Could not get sarate?????
Masala if traditionaly prepared yes all ingredients are used. There are some ladies who do this as buissiness, selling the day to day requirements like pickels, masalas, different flours, papad etc. If they are making traditional ype we get all the ingradients. else fast masalas
Oldtimers like me know that we can prepare it at home else the art is vanishing.
Madhuri

--- On Mon, 17/1/11, Na Bha <nabha-...@gmx.de> wrote:

[Na Bha]

Could not get sarate?????
It is some sort of thorny thing. My mother used to use it. I should ask my
aunt, be she doesn't have internet.
No, it is complicated!

[Na Bha]

Madhuri ji,
not every lichen is edible. But island moss yes. Experts perhaps can tell
which lichens are edible?

a recipe in german with iceland moss.
http://www.arte.tv/de/europa/zu-tisch-in/Island/1393686,CmC=1393680.html
The following translation is from google-translate.
####### start ######
This unusual dessert gets its flavor through Fjallagras, the weak bitter
sweetness of caramelized sugar.
Ingredients for 4 servings:

50 g of dried Fjallagras (Iceland moss)
1 L milk
125 g sugar
1 pinch salt

Soak the dried Fjallagras several hours in water. Then press and cut into
small pieces. Heat the milk to just below the boiling point. caramelize the
sugar in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly so the
sugar melts and caramelizes evenly . Also make sure that the sugar does not
burn. If the sugar is caramelized, you give the grass and the hot milk and
with a pinch of salt. Mix well, let cool and refrigerate.

Created: 23-11-06
Last updated: 23-11-06
#### end ######

Enjoy.
Nalini

----- Original Message -----
From: "Madhuri Pejaver" <formp...@yahoo.com>
To: "Pankaj Kumar" <sahani...@gmail.com>; "Na Bha" <nabha-...@gmx.de>
Cc: <indian...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Monday, January 17, 2011 2:35 PM

[Madhuri Pejaver]

HaHaHA!!
Now where to get Fjallagras?
But we get something called china grass. It is the extract of some brown alga. We can do some pudding of it
thank you