Alan Bergo is a chef from Minnesota, trained in fine European cooking, foraging and… finding tasty Sichuan pepper leaves in the Midwest.
That is how I found him and his fascinating blog “Forager | Chef”, and he was nice enough to go into this far-ranging conversation with me.
Highlights:
- Kinome (young Zanthoxylum shoots) as the greatest gift and potential for the Mount Olympus of restaurants – and a taste that’s like implanting alien software into an Earth computer
- The overlooked possibilities of using plant parts (squash vines, tree leaves) that are not the easiest to bring to market, no longer even recognized as foods
- The rollercoaster of flavor and spice that can be introduced (even to Midwesterners) as Sichuan pepper steak
- Prickly ash bitters used to be a thing!
- Why wine is responsible for the absence of spiciness in fine dining
Further Reading / Links: