One of the greatest luxury ingredients I know is actually a former Western famine food.

My grandmother Vivi Stranne showcasing handpicked mushrooms straight from nature’s pantry (1988)

Handpicked Swedish mushrooms that have grown wild in the forest are among my favorite culinary treats. Somehow, the combination of taste and texture make them such a generous contributor to whatever casserole I am in the inspiration of making and here in Niger, they add an exclusive flavor, and you know how much I love those…

Back in the old days (rewinding a few centuries), you had to be truly unfortunate to need to turn to the forest for this socially downplayed “poor man’s food”, but nature’s pantry offered its food for free nevertheless. Today, wild mushrooms have become one of society’s most exclusive luxury foods and are sold at a scouring high price in general food stores throughout the country - thanks to society’s growing demand for anything in possession of a distinguished, untampered taste.

In Niger, time is still one of the most available commodities around, which is why good foods such as hanza beans (Boscia senegalensis) and jiga leaves (Maerua crassifolia) can still be socially downplayed by those who prefer to buy food according to its current status rather than harvesting for free from nature’s pantry.

Copyright Eden Foundation

The good news however is that social status has no impact whatsoever on either taste nor nutrients, and thankfully for mankind, nature’s pantry is never offended, regardless of the insults.

Copyright Eden Foundation

Though I cannot understand why man is so skeptic to what nature has to offer and why anyone would voluntarily limit his or her culinary experiences to the top 20 most favored foods in the world, I am thrilled to be enjoying so many options myself, and I do not mind the slightest that some of the most taste items come for free and grow without irrigation in my garden… Now, whether it be labeled famine food or luxury food, I am all for any food that will bring an additional dimension to my everyday food, and for this recipe, I decided to merge something very Swedish with something very Nigerien, and hence the dish below.

Starting from dry: the “Swedo-Nigerien jiga mushroom” casserole

For this dish, I mixed pre solar cooked jiga leaves with dried Swedish mushrooms, added some boiling water water, Eden nuts, salt, soy sauce and milk.

As I was out of time, I cooked it on the gas (15 minutes), and served it with spaghetti and a simple tomato salad.

Famine food or luxury food? That is the question…

At least I know what these people thought, for there were no leftovers!