Around the World in 20 Plants: Unlocking the Secrets of Obscure Foods through Ethnobotany 

A mushroom that’s narcotic if not prepared correctly, but is also traditionally used in miso soup after fermentation? If cherry stones contain cyanide, how are they the secret ingredient in a delicious Russian cake? How can black nightshade greens be one of the most widely eaten plants in the world? Travel down the rabbit hole of obscure edible plants and mushrooms with a side of myth busting and culinary history covering all of these things and more. Lushly illustrated with the author’s plant and food photography.

James Beard Award-winning chef, author and forager, Alan Bergo left a career as a professional chef to hunt, study, and cook edible wild plants and mushrooms. He’s appeared on the Today Show, hosted the show Field Forest Feast on Apple TV, and was the winner of Hulu’s Chefs vs Wild foraging and cooking competition in 2022. A respected voice in the foraging world known for his website, he’s a contributing author to numerous published works ranging from cookbooks to field guides.

Hosted in partnership with Georgia Mushroom Club.

This lecture is free and open to the public, and no registration is required. The Garden will livestream this event on Facebook Live. If you have any questions or concerns about this program, please contact classes@atlantabg.org.

The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture Series is made possible by generous support from the estate of Elkin Goddard Alston.

Watch live on April 1, 2025