Sunny Savage | Inviting the Wild Inside

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ALOHA, I’M SUNNY SAVAGE

Internationally recognized wild food forager. I’ve taught thousands of people about wild foods, have traveled to every continent, and enjoy distilling my observations of the natural world into storied solutions.

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GET STARTED WITH WILD FOODS

Discover five edible invasive species in Hawaii with the Savage Kitchen App. Find wild foods near you, with mapping and recipes for tropical and subtropical locations around the globe. Wild adventures await!

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SUNNY’S WILD WORLD

Blog of all things wild.

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Butter mochi with wild fennel seeds on top. Today’s first grade homeschool math of stirring 120 times; earth science demo of shock waves from an earthquake. Your school tip —-> time to harvest wild fennel seeds on Maui!
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#loveyourwild #homeschool #wildfennel #feralfennel #foeniculumvulgare #buttermochi #foraging #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #maui #hawaii

Guava are so under appreciated! Morning nectar fro

Guava are so under appreciated! Morning nectar from yesterday’s roadside forage.
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#loveyourwild #foraging #wildfoodlove #foragedfruit #wildfruits #guava #commonguava #psidiumguajava #eattheinvasives #invasivore #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #onewildfoodeveryday #sunnysavage #savagekitchenapp #wildfood #maui #aipono #hawaii #eatlocalmaui2020

Aloha Friday! A green drink (Spanish needles juice

Aloha Friday! A green drink (Spanish needles juice with a twist - recipe coming soon) in hand, lei made from kāhili leaf...living abundance with invasives.
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set + styling + photo by @wingnutwoman
lei + floral @hawaiiflorafauna
#loveyourwild #foraging #invasivespecies #eattheinvasives #art #climatechangesolutions #savagekitchenapp #sunnysavage #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #maui #hawaii #wildfood #craftcocktails #wilddrinks #spanishneedles #bidenspilosa #lei

Never know where the next harvest might be...alway

Never know where the next harvest might be...always fills me with glee!

Happy Equinox! May we all find inner and outer bal

Happy Equinox! May we all find inner and outer balance ⚖️ we harvested haole koa (Leucaena leucocephala) to go with our pan fried kalo and Zeb gives a tip on how to cut into them easily. Although best recommendation is to soak for 36 hours after shelled, throwing away soak water, we include small amounts of raw green seeds in our diet without concern. Everyone’s bodies and sensitivities are different, so please note that a 36-hour soak in water is most current best practice (changing water once or twice during that time period).
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#loveyourwild #mabon #vernalequinox #fallequinox #haolekoa #koahaole #leucanealeucocephala #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #kidswhoforage #wildfiodlove #foraging #maui #hawaii

Last of my acorn stash today...thinking of all you

Last of my acorn stash today...thinking of all you folks in northern North America at this time of year bringing in the harvest. Food tied into so many memories with its flavor, smell, and stories of harvest.
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#acorns #oak #foraging #wildfoodlove

All of the plants covered in the Savage Kitchen Ap

All of the plants covered in the Savage Kitchen App are now available to harvest. It’s a unique and abundant time, albeit the wild greens are typically only found where there’s water. Food sovereignty is tied to peace...Happy International Day of Peace 🕊
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📸@cadencia
set + style @wingnutwoman
#loveyourwild #savagekitchenapp #foraging #kahiliginger #hedychiumgardnerianum #himalayanginger #keepitsavage #sunnysavage #eattheinvasives #invasivespecies maui #hawaii

How’s your bean game? Outstanding year for kiawe

How’s your bean game? Outstanding year for kiawe (Prosopis pallida) this year, hot and dry. The last several years we’ve had remnants of hurricanes that have brought too much moisture for a long harvest season. Get ‘em while it’s hot, and dry.
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#loveyourwild #kiawe #prosopispallida #mesquite #eatlocalmaui2020 #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #maui #aipono #alohaaina #hawaii #foraging #keepitsavage #localfood #wildfoodlove

Aloha Friday! Anyone planning a Strawberry Guava P

Aloha Friday! Anyone planning a Strawberry Guava Pisco for pau hana today? New recipe in the Savage Kitchen App.
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#loveyourwild #foraging #eattheinvasives #invasivore #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #strawberryguava #psidiumcattleianum #cherryguava #waiawi #eattheweeds #wildfoodlove #wildfruits #sunnysavage #savagekitchenapp #wilddrinks #craftcocktails #wildcocktails #maui #hawaii

And so it begins; first Java Plum harvest of the s

And so it begins; first Java Plum harvest of the season today. 💜💜💜 swipe to verify, plenty still ripening so get ready!
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#loveyourwild #eatlocalmaui2020 #keepitsavage #climatechangesolutions #eattheinvasives #javaplum #syzygiumcumini #blackplum #jambolan #jamun #wildfruits #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodlove #eattheweeds #sunnysavage #savagekitchenapp #alohaaina #maui #hawaii

Sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), fruits edible and l

Sea grape (Coccoloba uvifera), fruits edible and leaves make for great plates!
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#loveyourwild #eatlocalmaui2020 #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #onewildfoodeveryday #seagrape #coccolobauvifera #wildfruits #alohaaina #wildfoodlove #foraging #eatlocal #maui #hawaii

Hands down best wild berry on Maui, in my opinion!

Hands down best wild berry on Maui, in my opinion! Hill raspberries (Rubus niveus) going off now.
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#loveyourwild #keepitsavage #hillraspberry #rubusniveus #mysoreraspberry #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #eatlocal #eatlocalmaui2020 #alohaaina #wildfruit #sunnysavage #wildfoodlove #foraging #maui #hawaii #eattheinvasives #invasivore #climatechangesolutions

“pink peppercorns” (Schinus molle) are going t

“pink peppercorns” (Schinus molle) are going to have to sub for black pepper during the @eat_local_maui challenge - we really need more of a black pepper vine industry here in the Islands!!! Different from Christmas berry (Schinus terebinthifolius), this beauty is going off right now and although originally a planted tree, it has now gone feral and can be found in many different areas.
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#loveyourwild #foraging #wildcrafting #foodsovereignty #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #wildfoodlove #foraging #onewildfoodeveryday #sunnysavage #eatlocal #schinusmolle

Ok, I’m re-installing IG on my phone for this ch

Ok, I’m re-installing IG on my phone for this challenge. I really like sticking with my mission of promoting invasive species because we live on a small island and foraging comes with a lot of responsibility/caretaking/permissions/follow-through that requires thoughtful education...but I’m going to take a break from regularly scheduled programming for this month of leading up to the @eat_local_maui challenge and during that month as well so you can see what goes into my wildcrafting, gardening, local purchases, processing, and cooking.
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We are gearing up for a one-month EAT LOCAL MAUI CHALLENGE! Start date is October 17th - November 15th. Include 1 locally grown item in a meal or go all the way 100% local ingredients for a month...all participants welcome. You'll need to enter (details coming soon) to be eligible for prizes, and be sure to use the hashtags #eatlocalmaui2020 and #projectlocavore Calling all farmers, ranchers, backyard growers who want to trade, etc. to tell us what you got! Several restaurants are on board for offering a 100% local dish on their menu, so let's get planning and celebrate the incredible abundance this island has to offer. We are going to eat healthier, strengthen the resiliency of our local community, and work towards food sovereignty for this island. Join us! Check out @eat_local_maui on IG and the EAT LOCAL MAUI! Facebook page.
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#foodsovereignty #localfood #eatlocal #savagekitchenapp #sunnysavage #alohaaina #foodrevolution #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #onewildfoodeveryday #maui #hawaii

Kāhili ginger is nearing the end of its flowering

Kāhili ginger is nearing the end of its flowering here on Maui, but I did see several patches still blooming on the road up to the Summit. I haven't been to the top of Haleakalā for over a year and just couldn't stay away from seeing the 'ahinahina/silverswords in flower...what a sight! The power of flowers.
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#loveyourwild #flowerpower #clarity #haleakala #savagekitchenapp #kahiliginger #hedychiumgardnerianum #himalayanginger #edibleflowers #eattheinvasives #climatechangesolutions #water #wai

This color 🧡💛🧡 and the joy of growing the

This color 🧡💛🧡 and the joy of growing the 'olena (turmeric) and then dyeing my shirt with it.
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photo @cadencia
lei @hawaiiflorafauna
set/style @wingnutwoman

#naturaldyes #diy #color #colortherapy #naturalcolor #yellow #orange #gold #olena #turmeric #loveyourwild #sunnysavage #keepitsavage #climatechangesolutions #savagekitchenapp #maui #hawaii

Sometimes the way botanists categorize plants can

Sometimes the way botanists categorize plants can be so confusing, but at the end of the day these details really help us hone into seeing our ecosystem in a deep way. So, there are 3 varieties of strawberry guava out there even though they come in different shapes, colors and sizes. This illustration by the talented @natureofsophia helps you to pick out some of these differences, and of course there are detailed descriptions and photos in the Savage Kitchen App. Most people think of the red strawberry guava, or waiawī ula ula, but there is the pineapple- or pear-shaped yellow ones, as well as the round yellow ones. The round yellow ones are not to be confused with common guava (Psidium guajava), as the common guava are pink inside while the Psidium cattleianum var lucidum are a clear/white inside. If you're having troubles with identification tag me in a post, or shoot me an email (go to website in bio link), and I'll see if I can help. Strawberry guavas still droppin' like it's hot.
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#loveyourwild #keepitsavage #foraging #invasivespecies #strawberryguava #psidiumcattleianum #psidiumcattleyanum #edibleinvasives #botanicalart #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #hawaii #eattheinvasives #eattheweeds #edibleinvasives #wildfruit

Butterfly ginger is the name given to 3 Hedychium

Butterfly ginger is the name given to 3 Hedychium species in the Savage Kitchen App, and although there are some subtle differences all can be used interchangeably in recipe preparations. The yellow butterfly ginger in this photo are a common site around Hawai'i, which can be seen blooming now. Located in tropical and sub-tropical locations around the globe, El Yunque National Forest in Puerto Rico (not sure of photographer) also has large stands of yellow butterfly ginger (Hedychium flavescens).
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#loveyourwild #butterflyginger #yellowbutterflyginger #himalayanginger #hedychium #hedychiumflavescens #eattheinvasives #eattheweeds #climatechangesolutions #foodsustainability #puertorico #savagekitchenapp

Don't give your foraging spots away! Unless, they

Don't give your foraging spots away! Unless, they are crazy invasive species whose food and medicine helps not only our human family in times of need, but which also helps our ecosystems by preventing more seeds from spreading. Don't get me wrong, it's imperative that we safeguard harvesting spots until someone has learned how to malama da 'āina and give back to the land which feeds us. But, strawberry guava is considered the most problematic invasive species in Hawai'i and once we significantly stop the spread of seeds (don't spit them out; throw in trash or compost), we can then focus on how to remove and replant with endemic species which are adapted to hold our FRESH WATER.
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In this photo you see strawberry guava pins in the Savage Kitchen app. The icon in the upper right corner has allowed me to filter and view one plant at a time. In the upper left, you see the icon for dropping a new pin, and I hope you will drop pins of all the strawberry guava you are finding out there. Of course we don't drop pins on private property, and many of the pins are in places where we might not forage along cliffs or tight roadway edges, but they will help you learn to identify the plant in real life if you don't know what it looks like and is a valuable tool to discovering the general areas a plant might be growing. I haven't seen a strawberry guava season like this in many many moons, so I hope you are all able to find and enjoy some of these delicious wild fruits knowing that you are helping yourself and the land by getting your butt outside and participating in this incredible dance of life on earth.
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#loveyourwild #keepitsavage #savagekitchenapp #sunnysavage #strawberryguava #waiawi #psidiumcattleianum #psidiumcattleyanum #discovery #foraging #wildfruits #maui #hawaii #wildfood #climatechangesolutions #techsolutions #malamaaina #alohaaina #naturetherapy

Bump up your game by infusing wild fruits like str

Bump up your game by infusing wild fruits like strawberry guava, or the also crazily abundant invasive inkberry (Ardisia elliptica) fruits coming soon, into alcohol. Typically, the fruits are placed into alcohol for one month or less and rotated/shaken (not vigorously) once per day. Store in a cool, dark place to preserve color. Instructions are written in the Savage Kitchen App.
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#loveyourwild #keepitsavage #craftcocktails #wilddrinks #savagekitchenapp #onewildfoodeveryday #wildfoodplantsofhawaii #foraging #eattheinvasives #maui #hawaii