South Louisiana/East Texas
They’re tiny and tart, and you might have to put on a pair of waders to get them. The product of a swamp-loving tree, mayhaw berries are a cult favorite among foragers and chefs throughout the Gulf South. The clusters of ruby-hued berries primarily find their way into jams and jellies, which can be picked up at farmers’ markets across the region.
Where to find them: Lafayette, Louisiana
How to eat it: In jelly form (smeared on a slice of bread) or candied
Shepherd’s Purse
China
A member of the mustard family, shepherd’s purse derives its twee title from the heart-shaped seedpods, which resemble—you guessed it—the small bags shepherds once used to carry goods while tending to their flocks. The leafy greens have a slightly peppery, radishlike bite and are often cooked into wontons and dumplings.
Where to find it: The suburbs (and countryside) around Shanghai
How to eat it: Fashioned into a wonton, ideally featured alongside pork
Morel mushrooms
Western North Carolina
Morel mushrooms go by a lot of nicknames throughout Appalachia: dry land fish, hickory chickens, and molly moochers, just to name a few. Found in and around the mountain city of Asheville, morels with their spongy, porous bodies and trufflelike flavor are a hot commodity for restaurants looking to source directly from the wilderness. Try them sautéed alongside ramps or fiddleheads for a top-to-bottom taste of the area.
Where to find them: Asheville, North Carolina
How to eat them: Sautéed with a generous pat of butter and served in pasta
Loboda (Orach)
Romania
Fat bushels of loboda—a burgundy- or emerald-colored kissing-cousin of spinach—are a harbinger of springtime at outdoor markets across Romania. In the kitchen? The vegetable makes a fine addition to salads and is also the star of a chilled sour-and-creamy red loboda soup.
Where to find it: Bucharest, Romania
How to eat it: Cooked into a widely beloved sour soup, complete with a bevy of other spring vegetables
Loquats
Japan
Discovering a local fruit is always a joy—it feels like you’ve been let in on a juicy, delicious secret. Come spring in the highlands of Japan, loquats hang like supple glowing orbs. With a flavor akin to an apricot-plum hybrid, they are beloved both fresh and made into a slew of chutneys, marmalades, and butters. Looking to really take it from branch-to-mouth? Loquat picking is a favorite pastime in the mountains of Chiba and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Where to find them: Chiba Prefecture, Japan
How to eat them: Washed off and placed directly into your mouth
Broad beans
Malta
When vibrant green broad beans are in season, the Maltese find a way to add them to, well, just about everything. Two local favorites: the omnipresent dip, bigilla, in which beans are mashed with garlic and a slurry of herbs, and kusksu, a changing-of-the-seasons soup that brings together broad beans, peas, couscous, Maltese cheese, and an egg.
Where to find them: Birgu, Malta
How to eat them: Whirred with garlic into a dip known as bigilla
Jukkumi
South Korea
Jukkumi, an odd kind of cephalopod, looks like an octopus but is much smaller, with short legs and a meaty body. In coastal towns throughout South Korea, jukkumi are considered a tender springtime delicacy—it’s the season when female jukkumi are filled with roe. From mid-March through early April, festivals throughout the region celebrate their harvest.
Where to find them: Seocheon, South Korea
How to eat them: Stir-fried, oh so gently, with red chili sauce
Sorrel
Ukraine
An herb that trumpets the arrival of warmer weather with its uniquely citrusy bite, sorrel adds a burst of lemon-pucker to fish dishes. Ukrainians also use the herb as the basis for shav, a soup that combines the brightness of sorrel with the heartiness of root vegetables, chicken, eggs, and a swirl of sour cream.
Where to find it: Kiev, Ukraine
How to eat it: In shav, a traditional soup
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