Poll: Is my brother weird?

[Gilhelmi]

I actually am the brother in question here and I find it very unfair for Lewis to do all this and not give me a chance to defend myself so here is my side of the story. I was utterly and completely lost. I had taken what I thought would have been a short-cut to my house but turned out to lead me further away from it. I had no clue as to my whereabouts and even less of an inkling of how long it would be before I would get home. As I continued down a road, I had never heard of before, I started to get hungry and noticed a small bunch of dandelions beside me, I should also mention I had no money for actual food nor did I know where the nearest store was, so the choice was "Do I continue my trek hungry and hope I get home soon for nourishment or do I find out if a dandelion will be able to tide me over until I get home?". I chose the only logical option and it paid off. It didn't taste bad but it wasn't delicious, it took the edge off and so far I have had suffered no ailments or discomfort of any kind. I really don't see what the big fuss is about, I may eat the occasional lily here or a blade of grass there but it's not a regular thing, I was just curious. Frankly I find it weird that others wouldn't do the same.

I say you were not weird. Just uninformed of the dangers of herbicides and weedkillers. Picking wild food is not safe in cities because you never know if or when they have been sprayed.

You are quite fortunate that you felt no ill effects. Though I always recommend growing Dandies in ones herb garden. They make a fine Tea and the roots can be made into a decent coffee substitute. But only grown in a garden that you control.

 

[Mau95]

Eating flowers is pretty normal in some countries, but personally I think dandelions taste like shit. Then again, that might be because I hate bitter tastes. My cousin has a bunch of edible flowers in her backyard.

 

[Tanakh]

-snip-

He doesn't need nutrition per se. The OP is an English speaking teenager on a videogame forum, you can be almost sure him and his brother are not in need of food and if they are malnourished it's a culturally issue, not an economic one. Having something in the stomach however will trick the brain into eating the sense of appetite.

Herbicides and the possible bacteria or parasites are the drawback, easing a very slight hunger risking getting sick seems quite the dumb choice, I guess he can take the risk safely in this case but wouldn't bet on him on the Hunger Games.

 

[axlryder]

Well the flower isn't really the part you're supposed to eat from what I recall, but dandelion root is extremely good for you. I'd be more concerned about chemicals than anything.

 

[Odbarc]

Flowers are food. Broccoli is a flower.

 

[Flutterknight]

This seems relevant here. http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/42-flowers-you-can-eat

Also, I think people might be surprised to learn how many things we eat on a regular basis that either are or come from flowers. There's also a link in that page to an entire article on eating dandelions, so it's apparently not just a thing, but isn't even unusual. Also, apparently most of the flowers of plants that we eat other parts of (like the leaves, usually) taste very similar to the leaves that we're used to.

 

[ShipofFools]

What's wrong with eating a little flower every now and then anyway?

 

[Fifty-One]

All brothers are weird to their brothers.

 

[Anti Nudist Cupcake]

Yes he is. The story; on his way home my brother felt a little hungry, not staving, not famished just a little hungry. So to cure his hunger he thought that the best thing to do was, not walk the last 15 minutes to home, not find a corner shop and get something but to EAT A FLOWER! He bent down on the side of the road, picked up a dandelion and ate it. No lie. Please tell me that you think that this is as stupid and bizarre as I think. Also if you have any similar stories please tell. Maybe I will think this is less strange then.

I had a buddy like that once. He ate fucking leafs on the way home too. He also ate dog biscuits for shits and giggles.

 

[Woodsey]

That's nothing, I once saw a man eat his own head.

 

[NightmareExpress]

People make dandelion salads all the time.
Maybe you're weird for being so inadvertently judgmental of vegetarians and naturalists!
Now away to your pantry with you, so you may devour some chemically processed filth (though that dandelion may have easily had herbicide on it)!

And for those declaring dandelions of no nutritional value, guess again!
You may actually want to do some research on this, because you'll find that quite the opposite is true.

 

[hyplion]

I actually am the brother in question here and I find it very unfair for Lewis to do all this and not give me a chance to defend myself so here is my side of the story. I was utterly and completely lost. I had taken what I thought would have been a short-cut to my house but turned out to lead me further away from it. I had no clue as to my whereabouts and even less of an inkling of how long it would be before I would get home. As I continued down a road, I had never heard of before, I started to get hungry and noticed a small bunch of dandelions beside me, I should also mention I had no money for actual food nor did I know where the nearest store was, so the choice was "Do I continue my trek hungry and hope I get home soon for nourishment or do I find out if a dandelion will be able to tide me over until I get home?". I chose the only logical option and it paid off. It didn't taste bad but it wasn't delicious, it took the edge off and so far I have had suffered no ailments or discomfort of any kind. I really don't see what the big fuss is about, I may eat the occasional lily here or a blade of grass there but it's not a regular thing, I was just curious. Frankly I find it weird that others wouldn't do the same.

You are 19 years old and got lost less than 15 minutes away from your house, (I'm guessing a mile or two) Judging by your brother's talk of corner shops and your mention of no money for possible shops it was an urban area. You were not even able to pick out any landmarks or signs towards anything familiar when you stumbled across some weeds.
Presumably there were other people around walking past you in this urban area whom you could easily have asked for directions but you decided instead to pick the weeds out of the pavement and eat them for vital nourishment for the journey ahead.

Are you Bear Grylls?

Also you mention you eat the 'occasional lily'.

1) How many lilies do you randomly come across in your daily travels?
2) Lilies are bloody poisonous: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_happens_when_you_eat_an_arum_lily

Lilies are of the Lilium genus, the link you post is about an arum lily which is of the arum genus, totally different flowers.

The lilium are toxic to cats, the arum are toxic to humans so unless the brother in question is a cat he can eat lilies.

OT, kinda strange to randomly eat a flower but to immediately call him weird, nah.

 

[Wakey87]

Your brother is either very stupid or very clever, as they are perfectly fine to eat. Your call.

 

[SweetShark]

when I was younger I had a habit to eat the petals of margaritas but not because of hunger, just because of the sweet taste they had.
I am serious, it was great back, because none said something to me when I was doing that.
And even when I said to them that the petals tasted good, they didn't mind at all.

I must admit I don't know when I stopped this habit, but it was totally ok with that.

EDIT:
I just remember I was also "drank" the nectar some other specific flower. It was good I must admit.
Good old days that you didn't gave a f*ck what others think for you.

 

[FFP2]

Not really. I used to eat flowers, clovers and grass all the time. It nice to try something radically different once in a while.

 

[saoirse13]

Hes going to get himself seriously hurt on day.

How the hell do you eat a dandelion? Just how?

Well I'm no expert on the etiquette of Dandelion consumption, But I'd say it's a pretty simple task.
You pick dandelion, place the dandelion on the mouth, bite, chew then swallow. Then repeat these actions for the remainder of dandelion, or preferred flower or weed.
Haha sorry I couldn't resist.

OP: Meh your brother isn't that weird. Whats weird is when someone eats nettles. Now thats bat shit crazy right there. Maybe you should be less judgemental and the next time your brother decides to head of in search of weeds and plants to eat, why don't you join him in the experience and try some yourself. Call it a brotherly bonding day out in the wilderness.

 

[PinkiePyro]

its a little odd but I say far from truly weird

Im siding with the one who ate the flower the brother took it out of context and given the ciramstances I think it was ok

 

[SirPlindington]

I would eat the grass, not the flower, but hey, whatever works.

 

[triggrhappy94]

I knew someone who used to eat leaves when she was younger. In High school, she was on anti-depressants and drank a lot, and kind of went crazy. After she got off them, she balanced out some, but was still a little off. She said she couldn't remember that year at all. She's either going to a local Junior college, or living in a commune somewhere, or both.

As for your brother, I think he'll be fine. Just don't let him take anti-depressants and drink.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Nah man, flowers are fucking delicious. And they don't even cost anything.