The lost art of mushroom hunting. I mean the kind that grandpa used to find.... or maybe your great-grandpa. Growing up in Canada, my dad would come home from a canoe trip and take out a really sharp knife, and his freshly picked bounty.
Then with painstaking precision, he would carefully cut each wild mushroom into thin slices, lay them out on a wooden board and then put them in the sun to dry.
My mom would take a few and make soup, or add them to eggs or make a yummy gravy with some. The rest would go into a jar, once dried, they could be added to various meals throughout the year.
My parents would discuss the edible validity of some varieties. It is entirely possible that you can accidentally eat a poison mushroom, get sick or even worse, die. But this mushroom hunting knowledge is passed down through generations. But don't worry in today's world "there's an app for that".
None of my friends had the same experience. I understand why now. Back in the "old country", I have had the pleasure of walking through beautiful forests with my dogs. I can tell you it is so exciting when you spot a mushroom. Much to my chagrin, I had a lot to learn. Seems I kept finding the poisonous ones. When I sent a photo of one such mushroom to my all-knowing aunt, she responded with many exclamation marks warning me not to pick it and definitely not to eat it! Turns out, I found ONE OF THE MOST poisonous mushrooms there are on my first go. Fortunately, a friend lent me a mushroom atlas.
Easily categorized with pictures and icons to let you know what is edible, what is edible, but doesn't taste good, what is poisonous, of the "you will feel really sick" variety, and what is deadly. Not kidding it will kill you if you eat it. Those mushrooms are some of the prettiest.
I will tell you that some of the most helpful mushroom hunters around are the local kids.
They are taught by their parents and grandparents what is good and what is not. Their enthusiasm is a delight to watch as we bounce through the forest hunting for mushrooms. It's hands down the best game of hide and seek ever invented.
They also make great gifts. I recently received a bucket of mushrooms from some Ukrainian workers we shared a BnB with. I can't tell you how surprised and happy it made us. The thoughtfulness of gifting hand-picked mushrooms fresh from the forest, is something you won't soon forget. They also completely change the menu for a couple of days!
Comments