Jade Berg was cold.

It was his fourth night in the woods and the atmospheric river had just hit B.C. He was trying to sleep in a makeshift shelter that he described as B次元官网网址渨orse than sleeping under a pasta strainer.B次元官网网址�

Everything was wet, his waterproof gloves had been wrung out too many times, his clothes hadnB次元官网网址檛 dried out since he fell in the ocean three days prior and the storm was just hitting its peak.

Still, he had to sleep, or at least try to. He dozed, sometimes for up to twenty minutes at a time, but would be woken up again when he rolled over and an icy shower of water that had accumulated on top of his waterproof hood poured into his jacket.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e never been that cold in my life,B次元官网网址� he said.

Berg had spent the last three days in the woods on the Sunshine Coast, but he wasnB次元官网网址檛 just camping. He was trying to make a five-star meal, and was doing it all on camera for HuluB次元官网网址檚 new series Chefs Vs. Wild.

B次元官网网址 courtesy Hulu

Chefs Vs. Wild is a new show on Hulu which will be premiering in Canada in late October. The idea is that a fine dining chef is paired up with a survivalist somewhere in the woods on the west coast.

They have four days to gather and wild craft as many ingredients as they can while surviving on their own, then use those ingredients to create a five-star meal.

B次元官网网址淲hat they donB次元官网网址檛 show on the series is that we had no food with us, the clothes on our backs and a backpack full of sugar and vinegar to make infusionsB次元官网网址� WeB次元官网网址檙e not sleeping in sleeping bags. WeB次元官网网址檙e sleeping on sword ferns in a shelter that we built, trying to stay out of the rain,B次元官网网址� Berg said. B次元官网网址淲hen we came across the food B次元官网网址� for example we found oysters on the beach one day B次元官网网址� do we keep it? We have to do an appetizer, an entree and a dessert. Or do we eat it because we havenB次元官网网址檛 eaten anything in days.B次元官网网址�

In 2008, Berg arrived on the west coast with the dream of being a chef. He had $100 in his pocket, no place to stay, and no job, but immediately jumped in to VancouverB次元官网网址檚 restaurant scene. After paying his dues there for a few years, and bouncing around the coast between Vancouver and Powell River, he eventually settled down in Campbell River and worked in fine dining as a chef. That was until he had a major back injury and was told heB次元官网网址檇 have to give up his dream job.

B次元官网网址淲ork Safe said B次元官网网址榶eah, youB次元官网网址檙e never cooking again,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat led to a lot of soul searching, what was I going to do? ThatB次元官网网址檚 what I tied my identity to. I started driving commerciallyB次元官网网址� and started getting more into the wild food side of things.B次元官网网址�

It was through his appreciation for wild food that an unexpected opportunity arose.

B次元官网网址淚 started fishing a lot more and really wanted to start getting out and foraging, hunting, and doing everything I could to have that connection to the land and the food I made. I started posting pictures of it on Instagram and somehow it became my marketing. I got a message one day from ITV Casting, saying theyB次元官网网址檇 like to have me on this new show,B次元官网网址� he said.

A few months later, he was dropped off in the bush, and things didnB次元官网网址檛 quite go as expected.

B次元官网网址淚n the first two weeks that I was there (before filming) the foraging was amazing, but as soon as the wind and rain started hitting the mushrooms went from being in their prime to being rotten and non-existent,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e had to keep it fresh, if you found a bunch of mushrooms, what are you going to keep them in?B次元官网网址�

All that time, he was subsisting on about 100 calories per day, and had to be in a cooking competition at the end of it all.

B次元官网网址淚t was only four nights, but those four nights felt way longer that that. On night two, I thought B次元官网网址榳hat did I get myself into?B次元官网网址� On day three, I hadnB次元官网网址檛 eaten anything that day, my partner had been pulled from the game (due to hypothermia) so I was doing all of the foraging myself,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚 had some sort of like, I donB次元官网网址檛 know man, change of heart or epiphany kind of thing. The first time since entering that depression after the back surgery and ending my career that I felt that alive. I was like B次元官网网址榟oly shit man, I can feel this.B次元官网网址� I wasnB次元官网网址檛 just numb,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 was miserable, cold and hungry, and I donB次元官网网址檛 know if it was a combination of not eating for that many days or not sleeping. It sounds stupid and cliche, but holy shit, that was a big turning point for me. It helped me find my passion again.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about embracing the suck,B次元官网网址� he said.

As for the cooking competition part of the show, we donB次元官网网址檛 want to give away the ending. However Berg did say he cook something unexpected with a sea urchin.

He hopes that this show gives his Wild Isle Cooking business more exposure, and helps more people realize the amount of food that is available right at their feet.

B次元官网网址淭o me itB次元官网网址檚 all about connection. You go to the grocery store and get a piece of meat, wrapped in plastic on a piece of StyrofoamB次元官网网址� . You donB次元官网网址檛 respect the ingredient and you donB次元官网网址檛 really understandB次元官网网址� that was a living, breathing, feeling animal,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f youB次元官网网址檙e out thereB次元官网网址� picking berries for hours and hours to get enough to make the jam you want for the season, you work hard for it, and develop a connection and respect.B次元官网网址�

Chefs Vs. Wild begins streaming on Disney+ on Oct. 26, with two episodes per week. Berg is featured on episode 3, which will be available Nov. 2.

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