A Guide to Winter Foraging

     1. Bluchard Root | Wooded areas, mainland Neopia | Common

     Many know this root as a starchy addition to stews. But raw, it contains medicinal properties and can be used to treat rashes and other phenomena of the skin. It is a good idea to carry some while exploring the Haunted Woods, in case you come into contact with the itch-inducing Oozing Tulip. Spot it by its triangular leaves that peak out of the snow, and its unmistakable blue skin.

     2. Wintermelon | Meridell Peninsula | Common

     This hardy melon grows in patches within 100 meters of a water source, often in the shade of an oak tree grove. The shade allows the vines to survive the hot summers and produce fruit every winter. The melon is crisp with a mild, sweet flavor, and best enjoyed fresh and makes a great addition to leafy salads. Traditionally, Meridellians have turned Wintermelon into a nutritious mash by cooking it slowly over low heat.

     3. Slimy Tree Bark | Haunted Woods | Common

     The off-putting green slime you see oozing out of these trees is a sap secretion that the plant produces in the winter to further insulate it from the cold. For Neopets, the sap serves as a cure for Neogitus and can be applied directly to the gums for instant relief. Tea made from the bark is also said to aid digestion and has a surprisingly pleasant herbal flavour.

     4. Braku Berries | Meridell Peninsula | Common

     While most berries do not last long into winter given cold temperatures and berry-eating wildlife, Braku Berries have a unique behaviour that ensures you can find them all winter long. These berries grow within the dense hedges that produce them, protected from even the craftiest of Petpets and insulated from the cold. With some gentle manoeuvring of the branches, you’ll have yourself a sweet winter treat.

     5. Asparacone | Alpine environments, 1500-2000m elev. | Common

     These spiny crossovers are the key ingredient in a soothing cousin to Borovan and a speciality of Happy Valley. Asparacone Tea can be made by boiling the spiny sporophylls of the Asparapine. What’s more, the needles of the tree can be made into a simple syrup by cooking them down in water and sugar – adding even more piney-deliciousness to your tea.

     6. Greycorn | Wooded areas, mainland Neopia | Rare

     Greycorns are elusive simply because one must compete for them with hungry Symols and Crokabeks. The nuts are no good until they drop from their trees, and they will not sit on the snow for long before being snatched up by an eager critter. You will have the best luck in the early morning, just as the first light appears on the horizon. Greycorn flour is the base for many delicious treats, including Illusens Family Recipe Cake.

     7. Fuzzly Pear | High Desert, 600-1200m elev. | Rare

     Its fur-like skin allows this bizarre fruit to continue ripening as temperatures drop. If you’re willing to brave the thorns of the cacti these grow on, you will have yourself a delectable Tyrannian winter treat – a perfect topping to some porridge along with brown sugar.

     8. Talon Root | Haunted Woods | Rare

     In a pinch, this rare root has a chance of curing your pet of Lumps. If you happen to be walking in the Haunted Woods when your pet develops large, yellow itchy lumps, keep an eye out for this grisly claw-like root straining from the earth. Split it down the middle and rub the resulting liquid on the affected area. Whether or not it works, it makes a pretty cool keepsake – bring a few home for your friends and family.

     9. Black Mushroom | Wooded areas, mainland Neopia | As rare as it gets

     These fungi require a very specific pattern of weather to grow – bright sun, rain, and a wind strong enough to blow all the leaves off the trees. The leaves are crucial, as they provide the correct material for the dormant spores to germinate. Winter and early spring can give rise to these conditions, though it is not uncommon to go several years without a Black Mushroom sighting. So, if you ever observe a few days of high winds that bring a consistent fluctuation between sun and rain, take a walk in a nearby wood and see what you can find.

     10. Blumbs | Alpine environments, -no tags here-2000m elev. | Common but labourious

     If you find yourself afflicted by the winter blues, I recommend you don some snowshoes and a warm coat and trek towards the nearest snowy peak. Amongst groves of snow-topped evergreens, you’ll find spindly shrubs covered in red bulbs, each emitting its own pastel-coloured light. Winter can be long, and feel often lonesome. For me, atop a snowy peak, miles from the next person, the loneliness becomes a belonging, tinged with wonderment. While Blumbs are not edible, one could say they are medicine for the soul – and no list of wintery foraged finds would be complete in their absence.

     I hope these descriptions pique your interest, and that I’ve inspired you to embark on a foraging adventure of your own. There is no shortage of delight to be discovered in the quiet of Winter, so long as you dress appropriately and take care to check the weather. Make sure to bring a basket and gloves, and I wish you the best of success in your foraging journeys to come!