Scott wrote:
> In article >,
> "jmcquown" > wrote:
>
>> But what made that first brave soul pluck a mushroom from the ground
>> and eat it?
>
> I think it's hard for people in industrialized countries to realize
> just
> what hunger is--and what a person might do to avoid starving. If
> you're hungry enough, you might try to eat anything--especially if
> you don't
> have culturally indoctrinated ideas of what is yucky.

The U.S. is an "Industrialized country", as you put it, yet many, many
people were starving in what was known as the 'great American Depression' of
the 1930's. My father recalls picking dandelion greens for supper. His
mother obviously knew they were edible, otherwise she wouldn't have directed
him to pick them. But, had I not been told this, it would never occur to me
to pick dandelions for food. Now, I suppose her mother taught her and so on
and so forth. But at *some* point someone brand new had to just pick those
dandelions and eat them. That's what is so fascinating to me.

Jill