Welcome to the Celtnet guide to wild foods. As this recipe site has grown it has become obvious that to allow people to replicate some of the more ancient recipes on this site (especially from the Ancient, Roman and Medieval periods it is necessary to list modern alternatives but also to produce a guide so that the curious can find the original (often wild) ingredients for themselves. These pages are an attempt at bringing all these potentially useful and often forgotten wild foods together into one place. To use this guide simply click on the first letter of your term above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the terms. You may well find something that surprises you!

This page covers wild foods beginning with the letter 'G' and includes both common and scientific names.

This is the description page for Giant Puffball (Langermannia gigantea) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Giant Puffball.

The giant puffball, Langermannia gigantea is one of the great mushroom species. It's also one of the easiest to spot, being white and the size of a football! They are found in n grassy fields, hedgerows and wood edges but it's very difficult to predict where they will fruit and unless you know a good spot they are most commonly encountered whilst searching for other species. Typically they range from fist size to football size and they're completely unmistakable. As a result this is often the first mushroom type that the wild forager collects.

To be worthwhile, however, a specimen must be a clean, milky-white colour and largely unblemished, both on the outside and throughout. In a good, fresh specimen, little cleaning is needed. Simply wipe the puffball clean and cut a thickish slice off the base end to check that the inside is white right through. It may surprise you, but giant puffballs lend themselves well to preserving by drying.

For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms

Giant Puffball Omelette
Puffball Breakfast
Puffball Schnitzel
Stuffed Giant Puffball Mushrooms
Duxelle
Mushroom Pickle
Giant Puffball and Cracker Crumb Fry
Pickled Giant Puffball Mushrooms