2013

Edible and Non-edible Mushrooms

There are more than 300 edible mushroom species in Latvia. Most of them are cap mushrooms, but pickers are barely familiar with one-tenth of them.

Some well-known edible mushrooms include bracket fungi “relatives” - chanterelles, as well as king boletes, orange-cap boletes, orange oak boletes, birch boletes, several Suillus, Gyroporus and Xerocomus genus mushrooms, russulas, woolly milk-caps, rufous milkcaps, a couple of Lactarius genus mushrooms, common stinkhorns (even though nearly all Lycoperdaceae family mushrooms are edible!). Other edibles include Macrolepiota genus mushrooms (not all species!), Coprinus and Agaricus genus mushrooms, false chanterelles, gypsy mushrooms, Tricholoma, Marasmius, Hydnum genus mushrooms, black chanterelles and, which is particularly important when the “classic” mushroom hunting season nears its end – oyster, winter, conifer tuft mushrooms and heralds of winter.

Not long ago, brown roll rims were also listed among the edible mushrooms. However, they are now considered poisonous since they contain a substance that causes foreign bodies in human blood. Ugly milkcaps are considered hazardous in many countries, as it is believed that they contribute to cancer formation. Nevertheless, not all mycologists share the same opinion. This is due to the fact that Lactarius genus mushrooms, relatives of ugly milk caps, are good for health, delicious, easily digestible and have healing properties.

Several Helvellaceae and Morchellaceae family spring mushrooms are considered “conditionally edible”.

It is important to keep in mind that poisoning can occur after eating old or overgrown mushrooms, because they produce toxic by-products during the process of decomposition. Intoxication can also be caused by improperly stored, processed or prepared mushrooms. For example, woolly milk-caps are quite poisonous unless boiled several times.

It is obvious that seasoned pickers avoid picking poisonous mushrooms. However, not everyone is familiar with all species.

Wise mushroom pickers know to pick up only familiar mushrooms. Within this context, it is necessary to point out a popular misconception that “worms” (mostly fungus gnat larvae) and nematodes do not dwell in poisonous mushrooms. In fact, many uninhibited mushrooms simply lack their food. On the other hand, as many mushroom pickers have observed, these small animals are particularly fond of Lactarius genus mushrooms due to the amount of calories. It is also important to know that fungus gnats dwell in some poisonous mushrooms, including death-caps. Despite the fact that death-caps are known as the most poisonous, there are several edible death-cap species – grey spotted Amanitas and European blushers.

· Do not consume non-poisonous mushrooms if you have gastrointestinal ailments, since all mushrooms are hard to digest (due to chitin)

· Do not consume non-poisonous mushrooms with drinks containing alcohol, since alcohol can increase the effect of mushroom toxins on your body.

· Do not pick up non-poisonous mushrooms in the vicinity of factories or highways, since they can be contaminated by exhaust or heavy metals.

· Try to purchase as few artificially cultivated mushrooms (Agaricaceae family mushrooms, oyster and Shiitake mushrooms) as possible, since they are usually treated with chemicals when grown or stored. Latvia’s rich forests abound with wild mushrooms grown in excellent conditions.