A first of I'm sure many was last weekend when I was introduced to the art of mushroom picking in the Swedish countryside. As any good forager would we gathered our mushroom baskets, food and snacks for the day and of course rain boots to entrench ourselves in the sometimes soggy wet forest. Mushroom hunting is always best after several days of good rain so be prepared to get your hands a little dirty and hopefully your baskets really full!
There are many types of edible mushrooms in the Swedish forest although some can be difficult to identify and easily confused with look-alikes that could not only be poisonous but deadly. This fact became abundantly clear when while deciphering between an edible and non-edible shroom Cesar walked away with a burning tongue and a lingering foul smell on his hands. Yuck! While foraging in the woods it's almost as if you can feel in the density of moist air and the presence of grassy moss when you're coming up on a sweet spot. Needless to say we had so much fun and it almost had a childlike playfulness to it like hunting for Easter eggs although your reward of eating gourmet Chanterelles for dinner is a whole lot more luxurious than a confetti filled egg!
Here are a few things that I've learned about mushroom picking traditions in Sweden....
1) Swedish families that are into mushroom picking have passed down their "secret spots" generation to generation and return to these special spots season after season.
2) Swedes are typically partial and loyal to the types of mushrooms that they were raised to appreciate. In the case of the Bengtsson Morales crew those would be Chanterelles, Black Trumpets and King Cep. Deeelish!
3) Everyone can go mushroom picking anywhere, anytime, thanks to the Swedish law of allemansrätten or “the right to public access.” The Right of Public Access allows the public to roam the woods as long as it is done without disturbing or destroying. To quote Mathias Dahlgren, a Swedish chef specializing in local and seasonal ingredients as saying, “The Right of Public Access is something unique to Sweden. There’s an enormous amount of resources in the Swedish forests and it’s all free, everything from mushrooms to berries.” This law redefines what is considered private property and just try explaining that to any true-blooded Texan and you might find yourself staring at a double-barreled shotgun!
Happy Hunting!!
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| Chanterelle |
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| Black Trumpet |
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| King Cep |
