Eating stinging nettles

Diet, Constraints, and Variety

• Several commenters resonate with the idea of “creative constraint”: being vegetarian/vegan (or limiting meat to certain days) forces them to explore more diverse plant foods and restaurants.
• Others argue you can cook diverse plants without giving up meat, and that veganism/vegetarianism still reduces overall variety if you include animal foods in the definition.
• One thread highlights time and convenience: some find vegetarianism hard because quick, prepared options where they live are limited; others respond with ultra-simple “no-cook/5‑minute” vegetarian meal ideas.
• Travel anecdotes: seeking vegan/vegetarian spots abroad often leads people to small, off‑the‑beaten‑path restaurants and more inventive cooking.

Nettles as Food: Taste and Uses

• Many report nettles taste similar to spinach, sometimes milder or more “earthy”; disagreement ranges from “delicious delicacy” to “bland, just tastes like plant.”
• Common preparations: soups, purees, risotto, omelets, pancakes, pies, salads, pesto, pizza toppings, teas, and even beer. Often combined with eggs, dairy, onions, garlic, butter, or pork broths.
• Nettles are frequently swapped with spinach in recipes; young leaves are especially praised.

Tradition, Poverty Food, and Foraging

• Numerous European and ex‑Soviet anecdotes: nettle soups and pies as traditional spring “first greens” or wartime/poverty food that later became nostalgic or fashionable.
• Foraging is seen as a fun hobby: people also gather wild garlic, berries, mushrooms, dandelion, meadowsweet, etc. Some note the labor vs. ease of supermarket greens.
• Nettles appear as cheese flavorings and wrappings in several countries.

Health Claims and “Superfood” Skepticism

• “Superfood” marketing is criticized as rebranding cheap, traditional greens.
• Nutritional value (iron, minerals, vitamins) is widely asserted; some mention possible benefits for testosterone processing, prostate issues, arthritis, and allergies, often backed by scattered studies or folk practice; others find evidence limited or mixed.
• There’s debate over oxalates/stone risk in older leaves; one commenter cites a study suggesting hazards are minor, questioning common warnings.

Practical and Safety Notes

• Repeated tips: use young leaves; avoid flowering plants; cook/blanch to neutralize stinging hairs; pick away from polluted or fertilized areas.
• Various techniques to avoid stings (grabbing from below, touching center of leaves, using callused skin) are discussed.
• Folk remedies include nettle whipping for joint pain and rolling in nettles when ill—presented as traditional, not necessarily endorsed.