cattails are yum

Cattails are yummy! I still have marsh-goo under my fingernails from scratching around in search of cattail shoots. The inner white core is yummy raw, and can be boiled to make a nice cooked veggie.

There's more to look forward to, too: the taller shoots can be peeled and eaten in much the same way. Later, the young flowers (before they send forth their pollen) can be boiled up and gnawed at just like corn on the cob (super extra-delicious), and later the pollen can be collected and used as/with flour.

And the gathering is half the fun! Happy cattail hunting.