Pippa

Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.

I'm Pippa.

And I'm Beth.

Yes, we used to go and pick blackberries when I was younger, but I haven't really done it as an adult.

And I would be a bit nervous to look for mushrooms or things like that.

What about you?

I'm exactly the same.

If I see a blackberry on a bush, I will eat it.

But mushrooms, no, too scary.

So in this episode, we'll meet two young women from different countries who are passionate about foraging wild food.

They're both self-taught, having learned to forage by studying the natural world around them.

And it's important to say that they only eat what they can identify with 100% certainty, sticking to the rule, if in doubt, leave it out.

I'm going to say if it's dangerous, maybe it's red.

Roshana's mother-in-law is a horticulturalist, a person who studies or grows plants such as flowers, fruits and vegetables.

She has a deep knowledge of the wild plants growing in nature.

A deep knowledge means a thorough understanding of a subject gained from experience and study, not just knowing the basic facts.

And of course, Roshana only eats plants that she can positively identify.

Plants that she knows 110% are safe to eat.

Here the idiom 110% means Roshana is completely sure, she has no doubt.

And that's important as the consequences of eating poisonous plants are serious, sickness or even death.