Forgotten Foods: Foraging Plants and Mushrooms in Southern Georgia

Forgotten Foods by Joseph C. Smith

Forgotten Foods is a foraging guide to wild edible plants and mushrooms native to the Southeast Plain region, written by a seasoned local hunter and forager with over a decade of hands-on experience identifying, harvesting, and eating what grows in his own backyard along Georgia's Canoochee River.

The book catalogs dozens of edible species found throughout the area, organized by ease of use — from Level I plants that require no preparation at all, to Level II plants that need processing before they're safe to eat, to a dedicated section of edible mushrooms found in the region. Each entry includes identification details, preparation methods, and nutritional notes drawn from the author's personal experience in the field.

A central focus of the book is safety through identification: throughout, Smith carefully points out dangerous look-alike plants and mushrooms that closely resemble edible species in the Southeast Plain — species that can cause serious illness or worse if mistaken for their edible counterparts. Practical guidance like spore-printing for mushroom identification and simple field rules (what to avoid if it bruises blue, grows in certain conditions, or shows certain colors) helps readers tell the difference with confidence.

Equal parts survival manual and regional field guide, Forgotten Foods is built for anyone in the Southeast Plain area who wants to recognize the food already growing around them — and know, with certainty, what's safe to eat and what isn't.