By Ambassador Laura Killingbeck

What if you could have your adventure and eat it too? This is exactly what happens when you go bike foraging!

I ride my bike to work, to friends’ houses, to doctor’s appointments, to the store. Sometimes I pedal away on overnight camping trips. Other times, I spend months riding thousands of miles. Wherever I go–no matter how long or short the journey–I’m always looking for snacks.

Snacks are EVERYWHERE in nature. They come in the form of bright blueberries on the edges of paths, feral orchard fruits, strangely colored mushrooms, succulent sprigs of edible weeds, and fragrant flower petals. I always bring an extra bag with me in case I come across an abundance of anything especially delicious.

Foraging cloud berries while riding across Canada.

Many common weeds are edible superfoods. They’re packed with vitamins and minerals crafted straight from wild, organic soil and sparkling sunshine. There’s nothing better than the taste of these natural foods, picked and eaten fresh in the place where they grew. Bike foraging reminds me that I am a part of nature and nature is a part of me.

A Massachusetts foraging instructor, Russ Cohen, recently told me that he enjoys teaching foraging because it helps people “develop a friendly relationship with plants.” I believe this to be true. When plants become familiar to us, sought after, revered, and harvested with care, they become part of our essential network of emotional connection. We want these plants to thrive. We want to thrive with them. This is a truly symbiotic relationship.

Purslane is a common, friendly, wild edible plant.

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is one of my favorite wild weeds to forage when I’m bike camping. Purslane is a low-growing, succulent plant with thick oval leaves and reddish stems. It’s common in gardens, disturbed areas, and meadows. I’ve found it in the crevices of rocks, popping up in sidewalk cracks, and along bike paths. Purslane grows wild around the world, and is also cultivated as a garden herb.

When I’m bike camping, I often look for purslane to add to sandwiches, burritos, or whatever other foods I’ve brought. Just a few leaves and stem tips can add a lot of crunch and flavor to an otherwise drab meal. Purslane is also great as a salad with oil and vinegar.

For more information about how to identify and use purslane, here are a couple good resources:

Purslane: Pictures, Flowers, Leaves, and Identification
“Purslane: Dinner or Dammi!?”

Purslane grows in abundance and is often cultivated.

Bike overnighters are a great time to forage for snacks!