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 'R' and includes both common and scientific names.

This is the description page for Dulse (Palmaria palmata) 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: Dulse.

Dulse, Palmaria palmata, (also known as Purple Laver, Dillisk, Dilysg, Sheep Weed [Scotland] or Creathnach) is is a red alga that grows along the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where it is a traditional food. It grows attached attached to rocks by a holdfast and is commonly used in Ireland and Atlantic Canada both as food and medicinally.

Dulse grows from the mid-tide portion of the intertidal zone (the area between the high tide and low tide) and into deep water. Fronds may vary from rose to reddish-purple, and range from about 20 to 40 cm. From June through September, it is picked by hand at low water, brought to drying fields (or spreading grounds) and put through a shaker to remove snails, shell pieces, etc. The fronds are spread thinly on netting and left to dry, turned once and rolled into large bales to be packaged or ground later. Sun-dried dulse is eaten as is or is ground to flakes or a powder. It can also be pan fried quickly into chips, baked in the oven covered with cheese with salsa, or simply microwaved briefly. It can also be used in soups, chowders, sandwiches and salads, or added to bread/pizza dough. Fresh dulse can be eaten directly off the rocks before sun-drying.

Dulse (known in Welsh as dilysg) occurs in the Mabinogi of Math mab Mathnowy as one of the things that the enchater, Math uses to construct a boat.

For other edible seaweed (sea vegetables), see the guide to edible seaweed

Dulse Welsh Rarebit
Hebridean Dulse Broth
Dulse Quiche
Dulse Cheesies
Seaweed Soup
Sea Vegetable Soup
Dried Dulse
Fresh Kelp Soup
Dulse Croquettes
Seaweed Soup
Slokan
Raw Seaweed Spread
Dulse Muffins
Dulse Oatcakes