Horta is a traditional component of an authentic Greek diet. It is a variety of wild edible greens that are collected seasonally. Some of the common ones that are foraged there are nettles, amaranth greens, mustard greens, chicory greens, lamb's quarters and dandelions. In America, unfortunately many refer to these valuable greens as weeds and treat them with disdain as they spray them with an onslaught of deadly chemicals that unbeknownst to many Americans, poisons not only the weeds but also the environment that we all rely on to thrive. It reminds me of the contrast between the cultures that revere cats and others that believe they are associated with dark evil magic, the devil and bad luck. I am going to side firmly with the Japanese on this one since they happen to be one of the cultures that greatly values felines, and remind people of the truth—cats are Maneki-nekos that bring us good fortune and make some of the kindest and most affectionate of companions and friends. If you haven't heard of a Maneki-neko it is basically a figurine of a cat that is considered a good luck charm in Japan. The Egyptians also greatly respected and appreciated the magic of graceful, elegant felines—featuring them with reverence and devotion in much of their sacred art. I am sure they would be taken aback like I was if they heard some of the mean spirited feline references that are made in certain religious beliefs or in popular American culture. Similarly, Horta or edible weeds are revered, valued and protected in traditional Mediterranean cultures and this is the same way I view these regal, nourishing plants—as sacred.
Those in traditional Greek cultures who still practice this ancient art of gathering Horta on the pristine hillsides would be shocked by the chemical war and smear campaign that has been declared on these benevolent wild plant allies. I stand with the cultures that still revere these allies and would confidently argue that they are the sane ones in this debate. I find this subject to be fascinating especially since I love to practice the lost art of wildcrafting, which is basically resurrecting the ancient craft of ethically and sustainably foraging for edible wild plants. These wild greens are often much higher in minerals and other nutrients than conventionally cultivated plants largely because the rich soil they grow in is still lovingly tended to by earth's most harmonious gardener—mother nature. In contrast, in conventional farming the soil is continually robbed and stripped, yet never lovingly given back all that it needs to create hardy plants that thrive with ease. The soil is stingily given only the bare minimum that is necessary in the form of synthetic fertilizers like NPK, but this is like giving a baby synthetic formula and expecting them to make do and still thrive. When in truth all they can do is barely survive with such a poor substitute for nourishment. It is true that some of these pioneer plants or wild greens also have deep root systems that allow them to access minerals from deeper in the soil as well. However, I find that what mostly makes them so nutrient dense is the pristine wild soil and environment they come from. It is quite similar to the indigenous groups that Dr. Weston Price studied in the 1930s when it was still possible to come across groups who were completely isolated from industrial civilization. They were found to have superior health, longevity, physical structure and emotional well-being when compared to the modern Americans from his day. He found that it was not that they were simply superior because of their race or their genetics and that it was instead that their superior authentic nutrition allowed their genetics to be expressed optimally. As soon as these groups were introduced to the displacing foods of modern commerce, their seemingly invincible qualities began to slip away gradually while getting worse with each generation. Similarly if wild plants are grown in poor, depleted soil they will have the same lower nutrient content and reduced immunity that conventionally cultivated plants do. Like the indigenous groups that switched to a nutrient bereft diet, even these strong, wild, plants will struggle to thrive as they won't be as full of vibrant life when they are not nourished the way mother nature intended with rich, diverse soil that is teeming with life. So although I see weeds as superheros in many ways, I am aware that they too can lose their super powers and potency when exposed to the kryptonite of modern conventional farming. None of us are immune to detriments of not being properly nourished it seems and this applies to all life forms I find. Eating horta is one ancient way to ensure we get some of these nutrients we depend on to thrive and to awaken any of our dormant super powers.
📷 GreekBoston.com
Horta has been studied in recent years here in the west to try and unlock the beneficial secrets of eating a Mediterranean diet. The preliminary research that has been done on this subject confirms this age old wisdom. Although I am entirely aware that it is never one component of a traditional diet that is protective, I found these studies to be interesting. However, I want to emphasize that in order to obtain the benefits of an authentic traditional diet, one must implement it all. The protection is found in the whole and not in simply the separate components alone. The studies revealed that eating Horta and some other culinary herbs or plant based foods like thyme, marjoram artichoke, allium, and fennel, that are commonly used liberally in Mediterranean cuisine stimulate certain anti-inflammatory pathways: namely NF-kappaB and NRF2. Additionally, different phytochemicals like polyphenols, sulphoraphane, and resveratrol that are rich in Horta or other aspects of the Mediterranean diet stimulated these protective pathways as well. Now that you know some of the reasons why edible wild greens or weeds have tremendous worth you may be pleased and inspired to learn that the season has begun to start harvesting and tending to them mindfully instead of spraying them aggressively and mindlessly. Please take care of each other, yourself, our beautiful biosphere and our benevolent plant allies for we are all interdependent in this web of life. May the spring be a time of new growth, new beginnings, hope and celebrating the beauty and bounty of mother nature. I dedicate this post to my beloved Greek mama who grew up harvesting Horta and my dear Greek yaya (grandma) who passed this tradition on to her and lived to be one hundred.
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”
📷 This is an image of my beautiful mama in Greece that was taken by Georgios (my mom's first husband who was Greek)
Resources: Sheng Li Xue Bao. 2015 Feb 25;67(1):1-18.
Arch Biochem Biophys. 2012 Nov 15;527(2):81-9. doi: 10.1016/j.abb.2012.05.003. Epub 2012 May 14.