As a UNESCO World Heritage Site for biodiversity the Paraty region is an incredible location for foraging, the act of hunting and gathering food provided by nature. Foraging is a fascinating and fun way to explore the Atlantic Forest using your taste buds: identifying and collecting amazing and tasty fruits and flowers, leaves and mushrooms and even insects.
Foraging can be done anywhere in Paraty from the beaches and mangroves to trails through the forest. If you know what you’re doing it can even be done in the old town centre. As Paraty Explorer operates tours in the forest and in the bay foraging has become an integral element of all our Tours.
Foraging tips in Paraty
Be adventurous but not too ambitious: Break out of the ‘I know what I like and I like what I know’ mindset. Be open to trying new and unusual plants. But remember…
NEVER EAT ANY WILD FOOD WITHOUT BEING 100% CERTAIN OF ITS IDENTITY
You could kill yourself if you do not recognise poisonous species.
Go with an EXPERT FORAGER who knows the local area. This is the safest way to forage and identify and collect many edible plants.
Tasting and touching are an important and pleasurable part of foraging but don’t forget the other senses. Take time to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the Atlantic Forest to make a wild food walk a truly immersive experience.
About Jorge the Forager
After years of friendship in 2018 Jorge and Paraty Explorer developed the hugely popular foraging tour in Paraty: the Forest Forager – Wild Food Walk. Growing up on his father´s self-sufficient eco-farm in the Atlantic Forest, 1 ½ hours walk from the nearest road, plants have always been part of Jorge Ferreira’s life. Mixing academic study and a unique life of practice Jorge is fast becoming Brazil´s top forager. A passionate mushroom hunter and experienced collector of wild plants, Jorge loves sharing some of his vast knowledge of amazing local plants – their scientific and popular names, their nutritional qualities and medicinal characteristics.
He gives regular workshops on Agro-forestry and Non-conventional edible plants and has appeared on the hit Netflix programme, Chef´s Table, foraging with Brazilian chef Alex Atala (series 2, episode 3). He has contributed to a number of books and taken part in many events including Paraty´s Gastronomy festival, Paraty´s International Literary Festa (FLIP), the international FRUTO seminar in São Paulo and the Inhotim open-air museum foraging challenge, amongst others.
The Forest Forager Tour!
With over 15 years of experience in operating adventure tours in Nature the tour operator Paraty Explorer was the perfect partner to bring Jorge’s specialist plant identification knowledge to a wider public. Over a 12 month period we tried and tested various formats in the process of developing the Forest Forager – Wild Food Walk. The result is the best Atlantic Forest tour in Paraty!
Due to Jorge the forager’s hectic schedule this tour is only available with booking in advance (30 days or more).
