[Photo by Barbora Batokova] Gyromitra esculenta Fries, was originally Helvella esculenta Persoon. Up to World War II, the mushroom was considered edible, even excellent, although we note a whisp of caution creeping into the 1900 Mcllvaine assessment and again into Krieger’s assessment. Assessments now, in most countries, are negative. The internet is full of references…
Category: Wild Mushrooms
Gyrometra esculenta, delicious edible
The following lovely video offers a classic preparation from Northern Europe. Based on my experience, I am guessing something in or near the Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. For this, in addition to Gyrometra, you will need onion, potato, dill, butter, and of course, salt and pepper. Gyromitra esculenta, often referred to in…
Bulgaria. 2004.
Mountains. I was dropped off in a Roma village with this family, the first family we came to in the village. I wanted to collect mushrooms, and this village had a mushroom collecting connection. I entered the Roma community with Bulgarian friends and the mushroom book by my friend, David Arora, All the Rain Promises…
Lithuania, 1989.
Shtetl house. Oh! How my heart aches!
Yunnan, 1998.
I traveled to Yunnan, China three times to join my mycologist friend, David Arora. Some of you may know his books: Mushrooms Demystified, and All the Rain Promises and More. The latter volume includes my first published pieces! Two small paragraphs on mushroom collecting. Here, you see David photographing one of the women we had…
Amanita Muscaria Used as a Social Drug in 1890s Japan
. “In 1879 mushrooms were exported from Japan to the value of 243,440 yens. The yen is equal to 99.7 cents. Among the northeastern tribes of Asia fungi are largely used as food. One species, when pounded, forms their snuff, while another, the Fly Agaric, which is utilized in Europe as a fly killer, and…
How much amanita muscaria is safe to eat?
Detoxified Fly Agaric How much Amanita muscaria to is safe to eat? When you detoxify the “Fly Amanita” by leaching out the water soluble toxins by parboiling thinly sliced mushrooms in plentiful water for at least ten, and preferably fifteen minutes, you transform Amanita muscaria into a prime edible mushroom. Short of lab testing which…
William Rubel 