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I grew up in Russia, and like in many other Slavic cultures, mushroom foraging was a time-honored family affair. Some of my fondest memories are of picking mus
by dmitrybrant 7y ago
I grew up in Russia, and like in many other Slavic cultures, mushroom foraging was a time-honored family affair. Some of my fondest memories are of picking mushrooms with my grandmother, who taught me all I know about identifying them. I still forage them all the time here in the States.
I'm sorry, but it continues to baffle me how someone can mistake an Amanita for a Coprinus (or Agaricus). To my eyes they're as different as a bottle of milk and a bottle of Drano. I suppose I can see how very young specimens of Amanita can resemble other varieties, but then you can follow a simple rule: if it looks remotely like a baby Amanita... don't take it! There are plenty of other mushrooms that are virtually unmistakable.
And then the idea of not double-checking what you foraged before cooking and eating it? That's... unconscionable. I've been foraging for 30+ years, and I still examine each individual specimen before putting it in the pot.
It's a shame because these kinds of stories create unnecessary fear in Americans about picking things from the wild, when there are so many great tastes and experiences right there at your fingertips.
- Alex3917 7y ago> It's a shame because these kinds of stories create unnecessary fear in Americans about picking things from the wild, when there are so many great tastes and experiences right there at your fingertips. To be fair, until we have better tools to diagnose and treat the tick-borne illnesses that are prevalent in the US, it still isn't the safest hobby. This year I finally got sick of worrying about Powassan virus et al. so largely gave up spending time in the woods and just bought a road bike for outdoor time instead.
- SapporoChris 7y agoOdds are pretty low of getting a tick borne disease. I would assume they're even lower if you take precautions. About 60000 incidents a year. Powassan virus 33 incidents (https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-summary/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-summary/index.html) I would speculate that more than 33 people manage to kill them selves road biking each year, but I confess I'm just guessing.
- Alex3917 7y ago60,000 reported cases, which means more like 600,000 estimated cases. You can definitely vastly lower the risk if you take all the right precautions, but most people I see don’t even have their pants tucked into their socks.
- xenonite 7y agoAnd even if I ask a doctor to remove a tick he discourages a test of the dead tick, because „nothing would turn up anyways“. This supports a high rate of unnoticed cases.
- HeyLaughingBoy 7y agoMaybe they understand how miniscule the risk is and can't be bothered?
- jjeaff 7y agoDepends on where in the US. Lyme's disease from ticks is very rare in some parts of the US.
- saiya-jin 7y agoThat's... one of the worst excuses I ever heard to not go out into the wilderness. How can you ever sit in the car for example?
- HeyLaughingBoy 7y agoPretty much!
- peanutz454 7y ago> when there are so many great tastes and experiences right there at your fingertips. As someone who has cooked with exactly one kind of mushroom (button) I find this intriguing. I thought all mushrooms taste more or less the same. I may have eaten something at a restaurant, but don't remember anything unique.
- sharpneli 7y agoThey taste wildly different. Just like not all fruits taste the same. Or all veggies. Or all meat. My personal favourite is Chanterelle. Yellowfoot is pretty great too.
- greencore 7y agoIt's the only kosher mushroom.
- mrguyorama 7y agoAny way you can expand on this? What would make a mushroom non-kosher?
- greencore 7y agoIt has lowest change of having worms inside which are not kosher. Most other mushrooms needs checking if it's not worm-eaten.
- saiya-jin 7y agoButton are the most bland 'tasting' mushrooms, but you can find them in any shop because they are easy to grow in artificial conditions. There are so many quite strong tastes in the mushroom world, that some were/are used as spice. But its same as with forest fruit - those growing in wilderness have much stronger taste. The strongest ones I would say are morel and of course truffles which are used for finest (and most expensive) delicacies, but many others which are more common are great too.
- 7y ago
- antisemiotic 7y agoI think it really helps to be taught by someone who knows what they're doing. Where I live (Poland) it's common to have this knowledge passed down in families. I wouldn't dare to pick up anything based on a picture in a book.
- felixyz 7y agoThere are apps that lead you through a series of questions (pores/gills, cap shape, etc) to try to identify a mushroom. App + book + internet for anything that is remotely uncertain is a pretty good avenue if you don't have anyone to teach you. And yes, it's crucial to inspect every single mushroom before eating it and discard anything that one isn't 100% sure about.
- antisemiotic 7y agoHm, I was already starting to think about some sort of portable chromatography kits to identify toxins in the field, but I guess your solution works too.
- jtbayly 7y agoHave you ever used bird identification apps like that? I would never in a million years trust an app to tell me what is safe to eat. To learn? Yes. But not to eat.
- wiremaus 7y agoQuite a few delicious and safe Amanita spp. out there. It's a genus to be careful in, but there are a number of species that can be eaten with a little experience. Amanita calyptroderma and A. vaginata for instance.
- mda 7y agoAgaricus could be confused with white amanitas if they miss the capsule or the annulus (capsule is the biggest danger sign). Or a parasol with a A. pantherina. TBH, even the distinct Coprinus comatus could be confused by a beginner to another ink cap that could be really nasty if eaten with alcohol. I guess mushroom hunting requires a lot of common sense, perception and experience, which a lot of people lacks to some degree.
- greencore 7y agoAgree. I usually avoid picking Russula because sometimes Amanita may lose their crown and look like Russula.
- sizzle 7y agoI found myself foraging for these bright orange lobster mushrooms off a scenic trailhead in Oregon. They were quite delicious!