So what is Greater reed-mace?
Scientifically recognised as a perennial herbaceous plant in the family known as Typha, there are several dozen species, though they all have a very similar look.
They go by many different names depending on where you are, such as bulrush’s, cat tail’s, water sausage, corn-dog grass, coopers reed and numerous others, though reed-mace and cattail’s seem to be the most common.
They grow all across Europe and the America’s, as well as Africa and many Asian countries. They can also be found in non native countries such as Hawaii and Australia where they are classed as an invasive species, as they can take over areas and kill off the native plants.
Where to find it
It only ever grows near water, since the root has to be permanently submerged and so can be found around lakes, rivers, canals and any body of water where the roots can grow, including flooded plains and marsh’s.
It is a very common plant and there isn’t really any kind of trick to finding it, as long as you’re in country where it grows, just head to the nearest large body of water and keep walking along the banks till you see some, made easily identifiable by the characteristic cat tail looking head.
Gathering
There’s really only 3 uses for this plant, food, tinder and insulation.
If your going for food from this plant you need to get the roots out whole, and this can only be done by carefully digging around them. If you grab the top and pull you will just snap the stem off from the top of the root and be back to stage one.
Simply roll up your sleeve and run your hand down the stem to the roots, you’ll know when you hit them as they take a sharp 90 degree turn. Run your hand around the root and snap off any small sideways roots coming off the main bulb which may be holding it in place.
When you’ve dug around the root to loosen it up enough, grab it as far down as you can and gently work it out. The only edible part of this plant is the roots so take your time and get it out whole.
If your going for tinder you’ll have a much easier time gathering the cattail heads. Just snap them right off and start pulling out the fluffy white centre. Place it in a container to keep it dry or preferably put it in the sun to dry out a little more. This stuff lights instantly and burns really fast, a good option for starting a fire if your using a flint and fire steel.
As for using it as insulation this is in a last resort survival situation. The fluffy core is quite warm and soft, though you need alot of it to make any real difference, but you would use it exactly as you’d expect. Stuff it into any available clothing it can go, or tuck 2 layers of clothing into your belt and fill the gap in between, though again this something to do as a last resort in an emergency situation.
Cleaning and Cooking
The only part that you can eat on this plant is the root, and you don’t really “eat” them. Inside the root there’s many strong fibres that run along the length of it, and these contain a thick starch that’s full of carbohydrates, excellent for some much needed energy.
After you’ve got your root, give it a rinse and get rid of any mud, then get a small fire going and when you’ve got a reasonable amount of ash, spread it out flat and put the roots right on there, scraping some more hot ash back on top make sure they’re cooked evenly.
They normally take 20 to 30 minutes depending on your fire and how thick they are, but when they’re done take them out and scrape off the charred outer layout. The inside should be white with a thick starch covering the fibres.
Grip some of the fibres with your teeth and pull them out a little, then chew on them while sucking out the starch. The starch contains a high amount of carbohydrates and gives a much needed energy boost, as well as not tasting to bad at all, similar to potato.
Another use for the roots is as a thickener for any soup or stew type dish you may be making. To make the thickener take the raw roots and peel off the outer layer exposing the core. Put them in a bowl with a splash of water and pound them with a rock or some kind of mashing tool. The water will turn a thick creamy white colour and this can be strained off straight into your other dish, but make sure not to let any plant matter through as its super tough and chewy and not very nice to eat at all.