Foraging in the wilds of Singapore

REBECCA LYNNE TAN Straits Times 28 Feb 15;

Foraging, or the act of searching for wild edible ingredients, is catching on in the urban landscape of Singapore.

The mircrogreens that garnish dishes such as scallop ceviche, from wood sorrel to pennywort, can be found in less developed areas around the island, as well as in areas as urbanised as Dempsey Hill.

Mr Bjorn Low, 34, founder of urban farming consultancy Edible Gardens, who has a strong interest in local plants, takes The Straits Times on a hunt for plants that include peperomia, a wild pepper varietal that grows well in shaded areas, and the herbaceous and startlingly bitter King Of Bitters, an inconspicuous shrub with dark green leaves.

During low tide, one can also forage for clams and mussels along Kranji Beach. There, while digging and trudging the mud flats with foraging enthusiast Nigel Lian, 26, a communications executive, The Straits Times found native horseshoe crabs, clams, and mussels.

Join Food Correspondent Rebecca Lynne Tan as she susses out the foraging scene in urban Singapore.