Bite into Edible Bark

At first glance, bark might seem like something you’d only want to eat in a survival situation. Take a closer look, though, and you’ll see that bark can be both nutritious and tasty. It can also be foraged any time of year, even in regions with harsh winters.

Edible Bark Defined

Bark has a long history as a food source. Adirondack, the name of the region in New York state, means “bark eater.” The name was given to the Algonquian nations of that area by the Mohawk. Other indigenous peoples of North America also included bark in their diets, and bark is a traditional food in many Scandinavian cultures. But before we get down to the nitty-gritty of how to eat bark in ways that are both sustainable (the harvest doesn’t kill the tree) and tasty, let’s define edible bark.

With rare exceptions, edible bark isn’t the dry, scruffy stuff on the