Foraging and Fungi Talk

Talking about mushrooms . . . 

On a warm and sunny May evening, when the temperature as well as the wi-fi seemed to conspire against us, we sat and listened to an inspiring talk by Dr Ibrahim Ahmed on “Foraging and Fungi.” At the end it did not matter that the wi-fi was playing up, Dr Ibs’ enthusiasm and knowledge on a subject which started as part of his medical training, then grew into a specialism and thereafter a lifelong hobby was awe-inspiring and enthusiastically received by all.

Fungi go back a long way; we were informed that they were depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphs as well as Aztec carvings and were used for healing as well as a food source. Mushrooms were popular in Medieval and Tudor times and it wasn’t until the 18C, when land enclosures and industrialisation effectively disconnected us to nature that their availability waned. In contrast, most Europeans remained free to roam and still adopt wild foraging as a way of supplementing their diet. Both my parents were East European émigrés after WW2 and picking ceps from Delamere Forest and either drying or pickling them was an essential part of their culinary year.  

Dr Ibs then gave us an insight into the complex world of the mycelium net or web which seems to connect most living plants and trees with its fine threads. There is major scientific and medical research ongoing on this unique phenomenon and we are just realising how important it is to our environment and how little we actually know about it. It may provide future medical assistance in the treatment of diseases. 

On more pragmatic tips for us potential foragers, we were informed that there is no actual season for picking wild mushrooms, different species have different times of the year, as after an extended dry and warm period and with the first showers, the mycelium will send out its fruit when there is the right balance of sunlight, moisture and warmth. Also, we were reassured that it’s not illegal to pick mushrooms from the wild due to the extensive mycelium infrastructure that will guarantee its/their survival. Mushrooms are actually mentioned as exclusions within “The Theft Act 1968” which is still current today. 

So, what’s stopping us? And this is where Dr Ibs assurances on the small probability of death by fungi still leaves a nagging doubt in the mind of the amateur forager, particularly with chateaubriand and death caps still in the news! There are ways of checking, we were told that all mushrooms with pores are probably safe; if they are spicy on the tongue, then do not eat, (which was one my father adhered to but never sounded convincing!) 

Dr Ibs advice was start small, join a local wild foraging group and learn from those in the know. Learn about one or two mushrooms a year and your fungi portfolio would soon grow! 

Great advice to getting us started. And then just when we were all getting a fungi sensory overload, there were wild garlic and mushroom vol-au-vents to sample and enjoy.  A great night out!         

Happy and safe Foraging!    

George Noworyta