Caterina Cardia
Workshop on wild edible herbs
Practical courses for the recognition and use of wild herbs
I was born in Val d’Orcia and chose to remain here to live and work. I am a mycologist registered with the Italian National Register and an expert in the identification of Mediterranean flora. I have applied my studies to the culinary field, and in 2008 I began working as a wild food consultant for chefs and bartenders. My work takes me throughout Italy.
In 2023, together with botanists, ethnobotanists, and herbalists, I co-founded the Italian Association of Phytoalimurgy, which is dedicated to updating the national database of edible wild plants within the Italian flora and is becoming a key reference point for professionals and scholars in the field.
I organize plant identification and usage courses both for the Association and for national organizations such as Legambiente. I have also taught foraging at ALMA, widely regarded as Italy’s leading international school of culinary arts.
Here in Val d’Orcia, I organize private and group excursions for those who wish to learn how to recognize wild edible plants, using a method I developed that simplifies systematic botany without compromising scientific rigor. During autumn and winter, I lead woodland excursions dedicated to mushroom foraging, again applying a method that streamlines taxonomy while maintaining strict attention to the serious risks associated with inaccurate species identification.
Within just a few hours, I am able to equip even beginners with the knowledge and confidence to safely harvest their own wild food, without impacting fragile habitats or rare species. These plants—and many of the lignicolous mushrooms we encounter—are an extraordinary resource for our health, rich in vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and, in the case of mushrooms, high-quality proteins that are well worth integrating safely into our daily diet.
As we seek out the remarkable forms through which nature expresses itself, our everyday thoughts begin to dissolve, and a simple walk becomes an opportunity for meditation and deep relaxation. The awareness that we belong to a Nature that is generous yet deserving of our careful attention broadens our perspective and our emotional range, tempers our ego, and helps us experience a more authentic sense of joy.
I look forward to guiding you in seeing a meadow or a forest with new eyes.
Caterina Cardia
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