top 5 favourite mushrooms π
omg i'm so excited to answer this. i would say my only hyperfixations are sterek and mushrooms (and maybe foraged pnw plants) so you're in for an essay here lol. you have opened the floodgates jsyk
1. chanterelle - these are bright yellow for the most part and the most plentiful shroom i've found. they fruit in the fall and sometimes earlier. they are everywhere if you know where to find them.
anyway these are like gold and are often half-buried in dirt and moss, so when you find them it's literally like finding gold amongst all the dirt. they're pretty neutral and versatile and can be made into jerky, powder/mushroom seasoning, pickles, and so much more!
2. porcini - these are called king boletes on account of how big they are. they're often found either on the coast or in the mountains depending on the species. they are INCREDIBLE like a god-tier mushroom. probably the best mushroom. they are kind of sweet and when you cook them the house smells like pancakes for some reason. the baby ones are all squat and fat lol and they look cute. the big ones are ginormous.
when i was in therapy they asked me to remember a time when i was happy. that's uhh hard for me lmao but i told them about finding these mushrooms. the joy you feel when you spot them buried in the dirt is incredible because they are sought-after and prized, and literally called "shrumps" (mushroom lumps) because they are so hidden in the dirt. so when you finally find them it's like the best feeling
3. lobster - these are also like finding gold but instead of gold it's orange. they are literally bright orange-red mushrooms that kind of look deformed. they don't have gills because there's a kind of bacteria/mold (hypomyces lactifluorum) that grows over a regular white edible mushroom (russula brevipes) and turns it into this lump of fiery orange.
they smell like seafood but don't necessarily taste like it. they also make incredible jerky. when you find these in the moss (they often grow near the coastal forest where there's tons of beautiful green moss) the colors are stunning and contrasting and they are just GORGEOUS
4. morel - these are so fun because they're also sought-after. there's so many different types of morels and they grow in many different areas. one time i found a goldmine of them in the mountains, it was so surreal, i've never seen that many before (at least 50 around one area) but there were also tons of mosquitos at that time so i had to hurry up and pick them while trying not to die from the tiny flying vampires. very memorable lol
these look a bit crazy and are often found in burn areas which is sad. they can also grow in people's backyards or in woodchips in the city. so if you find these in your yard and properly ID them you can eat them! i recently made a necklace with a dried one of these lol
5. coral tooth - i was tempted to put sparassis/cauliflower as my last fav mushroom but tbh it's a pain in the ass to clean lol and honestly coral tooth is the better option anyway. the texture is softer and not as much like egg noodles. it's easier to clean and you can dry it to rehydrate in soups throughout the year. it grows in big clumps like lion's mane and is just so pretty and stark white. i saw it in the middle of a burn area so you can imagine how ethereal it looked. there's an incredible asian soup recipe with it and the mushrooms take it to the next level.
thank you for coming to my ted talk!! no seriously thank you if you read all this lmao
