Traditions of Mushroom Hunting

The legacy of foraging mushrooms in Slavic culture

Mushroom hunting in the Carpathians by Kostrzewski Franciszek, 1860

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that the Slavs were forest people. The primordial forests of the region not only influenced their spiritual beliefs, but also how they prepared food and medicine. While the people shifted to an agrarian lifestyle hundreds of years ago, some of their hunter-gatherer traditions persist.

One of these traditions is mushroom hunting (called grzybobranie in Polish). While mainstream foraging has become hugely popular in the US over the past handful of years, hunting for mushrooms is a staple in Slavic culture. We see this throughout not just one, but all Slavic regions and cultures. That’s because it wasn’t just a hobby like it is today. Mushrooms remained an important part of the Slavic diet, especially in times of war and drought. There are records from the 1500’s stating that on larger estates there were people who tended the fields and people who solely collected mushrooms from the wilds.

Mushroom hunting still provides a source of income for many people in smaller villages. They collect their mushrooms and sell them at farmers markets or along the roadside. For hobbyists, mushroom hunting is a sort of national holiday in Poland and beyond. Families drive into the forest throughout spring, summer and fall in search of baskets full of the fungi. The fungi are the main focus of these excursions, but it sounds like the memories created and the connection with nature is the true reason this tradition persists at such a scale.

After WWII mushroom hunting nearly went extinct during the Soviet era. Yet in the 80’s it began gaining popularity again. Even now in Ukraine, as they are once again under threat from Russia, mushroom hunting is seen as an act of resistance amidst the continuing war. Not only that, but these precious fungi once again are providing sustenance to people in the face of famine. The government has pleaded with people to not forage for mushrooms as there is a danger of stumbling upon mines and projectiles. The people however, continue to go to the forest. And the forest continues to provide.

So what mushrooms are popular for foraging and what is done with them?

According to Sophie Hodorowicz Knab, there is a saying in polish that goes “Lepsze rydz niż nic”, or “better the Lactarius deliciousus (saffron milkcap mushroom) than nothing at all”. This proverb is also used to describe a situation where something is gained, but not quite what you wanted.

In the Slavic mushroom foraging world, the saffron milkcap mushroom is that consolation prize. It is an acceptable edible mushroom that will be collected. However, what folks truly hold out for is the king of forest mushrooms: the porcini, Boletus edulis (prawdziwki, borowiki). It is considered the most delicious of wild mushrooms.

Slippery jacks (maślaki) and bay boletes (podgrzybki), and chanterelles are also commonly harvested. Bay boletes apparently are one of the most harvested mushrooms in Polish forests. In total, there are 47 species on the Polish government’s approved list of mushrooms for food circulation. Many of these mushrooms may seem familiar. Those of us in the more northern prats of the US have a similar climate to the temperate forests of Central Europe. So while you’re searching for mushrooms next time, check to see if they also were collected by our ancestors.

While it’s a little late in the year to collect many edible mushrooms, one of the main goals for mushroom hunting in Slavic cultures is to preserve them for Christmas celebrations. You’ll find that many traditional Slavic dishes contain wild mushrooms such as pierogi, bigos, żurek, grzybowa, and beyond.

The most common ways of preserving these mushrooms in Slavic traditions is to either dry or pickle them. Historical records state that mushrooms harvested in the spring were dried in the sun, while those harvested in the autumn were dried on a string or in the oven. Many fresh dishes of wild mushrooms are also made on the day of the forage. If preserved correctly, these mushrooms will taste as fresh and vibrant as the day they were harvested.

Edible mushrooms play a huge role in Slavic culture, though it doesn’t seem from my research that they were used medicinally to any great extent. Plants were typically used for physical ailments while charm healing was often used for folk illnesses (ailments that couldn’t be diagnosed physically).

However, recent studies on the wild mushrooms of this region have begun to identify some highly useful constituents such as polysaccharides which are typically found in medicinal mushrooms. These polysaccharides have a beneficial effect on our immune, digestive and detoxification systems. Interestingly, the saffron milkcap mushroom (our consolation prize) was shown in one study to have some of the highest levels of a polysaccharide called beta-glucan.

If you want to start adding some more of these ancestral allies into your diet or medicine cabinet, there are some simple recipes you can work with.

Pickled Forest Mushrooms

By Aleksandra from Cook in Polish

Ingredients

• 2 kg (4 and half lb) forest mushrooms

• 1 cup white vinegar 10% ( if you have available other acidity vinegar you need to adjust the amount, for 5% vinegar- add 2 cups)

• 4 cups water

• 1 large or 2 medium onions

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds

• 1 tablespoon all spice seeds

• 2 teaspoons black pepper seeds

• 10 bay leaves

Directions

1. Prepare four 16oz jars. They need to be clean and dry.

2. Clean mushrooms – brush mushrooms or clean them with a knife. Cut the bigger mushrooms into smaller pieces, then wash gently in a bowl of water, changing water two times.

3. Boil a pot with water, transfer mushrooms to the pot once it boils. Add diced onion. Let them boil on low for 5-6 minutes and drain them on the sieve.

4. In the meantime prepare vinegar solution: transfer all the remaining ingredients to the pot (water, vinegar, bay leaves, all spice seeds, mustard seeds, salt, sugar, black pepper seeds). Bring to boil.

5. Arrange mushrooms and onions in jars. Pour hot vinegar solution to cover mushrooms. Add all the seasonings in equal parts to the jars. Close jars tightly with a lid. Make sure that both: the lid and jar from the outside are dry.

6. I put jars upside down, cover with a cloth to assure slow cool down and don’t pasteurize them. Once they cool down, the lid should be concave, as a sign of proper jar closing.

7. You can use your favorite way of pasteurization for extra safety.

Russian Mushroom Basket Soup

By Maria Dokshina

Ingredients

• 1 kilo (2.2 lbs) of different wild edible mushrooms cleaned from the soil, washed thoroughly, and cut roughly (or 8 oz dried mushrooms)

• 3 onions

• 2 carrots

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 bay leaf

• 5 black peppercorns

• salt to taste

• A few big potatoes / a good handful of bulgur

Directions

1. Place mushrooms in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then strain the water using a colander, let the mushrooms drain a bit.

2. In the same pot saute chopped onions, carrots, and garlic with some sunflower oil until slightly golden. Then add mushrooms, bay leaf, black peppers. Add cut potatoes or bulgur, cover with water and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt.

3. Serve with a dash of sour cream and freshly chopped dill. A shot of vodka is optional.