Eating galls... For science - July 2023

Gall 1: Andricus kollari on Quercus robur.
Date: July 10
Taste: Quite interesting. The "peel" is tasteless, while the fleshy inside is bitter, numbing, and has a slightly sour, unripe redcurrant aftertaste (like Plagiotrochus quercusilicis galls, see April 2023 entry). It can even be somewhat sugary towards the core.
Texture: Fresh gall, not woody yet. Peel is slightly tougher than apple peel. The fleshy part can be brittle and dusty (same as old galls), but since this is a fresh gall it is more fibrous, comparable to wood pulp. Also contains a watery liquid of sorts.
Smell: Also similar to redcurrant. Barely noticeable.
Notes: It was fun to find this gall, as it is relevant for two of my projects (This project, and https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-miners-and-other-diseases-on-cultivated-introduced-plants). What wasn't fun was the 36 C weather, but it seems that Q. robur trees, and gall wasps too, are making do.

Posted on July 10, 2023 07:15 PM by