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> the exact same plants and mushrooms will be listed as edible in some books and poisonous in others. Are you serious? Any mycologist or survivalist worth thei
by Laforet 10y ago
> the exact same plants and mushrooms will be listed as edible in some books and poisonous in others.
Are you serious? Any mycologist or survivalist worth their salt will tell you to avoid any mushrooms you could not identify with 100% certainty because there is no regret if you had them. Some manuals may advocate (in very desperate situations) eating a small piece of an unknown species to see if you have a reaction before consuming more, but that is still pretty dodgy since not all toxins have a short incubation period.
- Alex3917 10y agoWhether something is safe to eat has nothing to do with identification. If you don't know what something is then obviously you shouldn't be eating it.
- taejo 10y agoLet's take something else: vodka. Poisonous or edible? Clearly poisonous: if you drink a litre, you may feel nauseous, lose your balance, slur your words, throw up... On the other hand, generally recognized as edible: many people consume it regularly, most doctors wouldn't tell you to never consume it, recipe books include recipes using it, etc. Many (identified!) mushrooms are on a similar level of toxicity: one is fine, a kilo will make you nauseous, twenty kilos can kill you. Whether this is toxic or edible is to some extent a cultural construct. The dose makes the poison.