The image, above, shows the flowering branches of the gorse plant(Ulex europaeus), left panel, along with closeups of the
edible flowers (right panel)..
| Common Name: Gorse |
| Scientific Name: Ulex europaeus |
| Other Names: Common Gorse, Furze, Whin and Furse |
| Family: Fabaceae |
| Range: Western Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia to Spain |
Physical Characteristics
Ulex europaeus is a hardy deciduous shrub, growing to 1.5m (5 ft) by 1.5m (5 ft) in size. It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. The plant is in leaf from mid January and flowers all year round. The seeds also ripen all year round. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are pollinated by bees, flies and beetles. This shrub can fix nitrogen and is a notable wildlife attractant.
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| Edible Parts: Flowers, Flower Buds, Shoot Tips |
 Edibility Rating: 2 
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 Known Hazards: None Known.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Gorse along with all the Gorse containing recipes presented on this site, with 5 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Gorse as a major wild food ingredient.
Gorse, Ulex europaeus (also known as Furze, Whin and Furse) is a member of the Fabaceae (pea) family. It is closely related to the brooms but has leaves that are modified into 3cm long spines. Common gorse is the only one native to Western Europe and is also the largest member of the gorse family which gan grow to 3m high and 5m in diameter. Though it flowers most strongly in spring gorse is actually in flower most of the year round and it bears yellow flowers that have a distinctive coconut-like scent.
This thorny plant makes a beautiful backdrop to the moors and uplands of Britain as it burst into intense yellow bloom every spring. the plant is sometimes called the 'Farmer's Friend' as it's bushy habit and thorns make it very difficult for any animal to penetrate a gorse thicket. Its branches are also used as temporary fixes for holes in fencing or hedges.
You might think that the plant doesn't offer very much for the forager after wild foods. However, the plant's flowers are intensely flavoured and make a colourful (and tasty) accompaniment to any spring-time salad. Just be careful how you pick them! The flower buds can also be pickled as a caper substitute. The young shoots of the plants can also be infused in boiling water to make a tisane.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Gorse as a major wild food ingredient.
Gorse, Ulex europaeus (also known as Furze, Whin and Furse) is a member of the Fabaceae (pea) family. It is closely related to the brooms but has leaves that are modified into 3cm long spines. Common gorse is the only one native to Western Europe and is also the largest member of the gorse family which gan grow to 3m high and 5m in diameter. Though it flowers most strongly in spring gorse is actually in flower most of the year round and it bears yellow flowers that have a distinctive coconut-like scent.
This thorny plant makes a beautiful backdrop to the moors and uplands of Britain as it burst into intense yellow bloom every spring. the plant is sometimes called the 'Farmer's Friend' as it's bushy habit and thorns make it very difficult for any animal to penetrate a gorse thicket. Its branches are also used as temporary fixes for holes in fencing or hedges.
You might think that the plant doesn't offer very much for the forager after wild foods. However, the plant's flowers are intensely flavoured and make a colourful (and tasty) accompaniment to any spring-time salad. Just be careful how you pick them! The flower buds can also be pickled as a caper substitute. The young shoots of the plants can also be infused in boiling water to make a tisane.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Gorse recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 5 recipes in total:
Page 1 of 1
| Cyffug Blodau Eithin (Gorse Flower Fudge) Origin: Welsh | Hedgerow Salad Origin: Ancient | Springtime Fritters Origin: Ancient |
| Gorse Flower Ice Cream Origin: Britain | Pork and Wild Food Curry Origin: Britain |
Page 1 of 1