Mushroom Hunting

The first time I picked mushrooms, last autumn to be precise, I made a number of amateurish moves—uninformed, uninitiated, unprepared was I. The most glaring of these mistakes, and I won´t sidestep the truth here, was that I sneakily and knowingly trespassed on private property; the backyard of a government building no less. Oh sure, my Czech is good enough to understand a “Zákaz vstupu” sign when I see one. But the wide-open gate and the sight of those dainty little fungi dancing around the base of a tree trunk trumped good sense, and I skulked inside where I proceeded to make mistakes two, three, and four, all-the-while concocting an eye-lash batting, ignorant-foreigner defense should I find myself busted. Now the mycologically aware (a.k.a. seasoned fungi-finders) will do some stooping, sniffing, and inspecting before picking. If you´ve heard the old saying “All mushrooms are edible…once,” then you know the reasoning behind this approach.

As for me, I came, I saw, I yanked. I tossed my finds into a flimsy receptacle courtesy of Tesco and stalked off to make dinner. Thankfully I´m here to tell the tale, as is my boyfriend who enjoyed my Spaghetti in Stolen-Mushroom Cream Sauce that evening. But this year I´ve seen the error of my ways and after a good-deal of research will forage responsibly and with a discerning eye. I will remember (and you should, too) a few key facts before joining in what is largely considered the national past time here in the Czech Republic, with seven out of 10 of its citizens picking mushrooms between the months of July and November. (Over 25 million kilograms were harvested from the country´s woodlands last year alone!)

If you want to get lucky at the mushroom game, do like the Czechs do and get up with the sun. Mushrooming may sound like a leisurely hobby steeped in Arcadian charm but the Czechs, especially the more serious mushroomers, rise and shine around six-o-clock in an effort to hit the sweet spots first. You´ll spy these industrious types on the Metro ride home, their baskets spilling over with mouthwatering morsels. Sleep in and suffer the repercussions, namely hunger and embarrassment, of empty handedness.

Once you know which sort of mushroom to pick, you should know the proper way to do so. Experts cut the stem with a blade or a pen knife. They suggest that you press a little bit of the stem back into the earth. Kicking over unwanted mushrooms and littering the scene of the crime with stems can harm the forest ecosystem, not to mention give away your very own, super-secret mushrooming spot. Wicker baskets are a must for collecting mushrooms; they help your fragrant yet stinky, alive but decaying crop breathe better.

Alas, no matter where you go to gather, the dry, cool summer has enthusiasts lamenting this year´s meager crop of wild mushrooms. Should you hit the mother lode consider yourself blessed and get cooking. Toss a handful of mushrooms into your scrambled eggs (don´t forget butter, salt, and pepper and most importantly cumin) and you´ve got a Czech dish called smaženice; deep fry them for houbové řízky; try karbanátky, a mushroom burger; or fill up on my favorite, mushrooms tossed with noodles, cream, and onions. Pleasant, peasantish fare, the essence of Czech cooking. Culinary—if not hallucinogenic—rapture.