Catalonia, mycophile country
In Catalonia we are lucky to have high mountain and forest areas, not far from villages and/or towns. We are surrounded by a wide variety of landscapes that we can enjoy regardless of the time of year. But in the fall, one of the oldest traditions passed down from generation to generation begins: mushroom hunting.
This activity is one of the most special and loved in Catalonia, so much that there is even a very curious expression: "Estar tocat del bolet" (to be touched by the mushroom), which means that a person is hallucinating / crazy. This popular expression comes from the Amanita Muscarita mushroom, the famous red mushroom with white dots, as it has hallucinogenic properties. It is said that all the fanaticism in the world of mushrooms originated from this in Catalonia. At the moment, all kinds of activities are organized such as fairs, competitions, excursions, workshops... There was even a television program devoted to the search for mushrooms.
Since we are located in privileged places in Catalonia, some of them near perfect areas for mushroom search, we wanted to share our advice with you. Most beginners can find all the necessary information here to learn to look for and collect mushrooms.
1. When to harvest mushrooms
The mushroom picking season usually starts in October, but it depends on several factors: soil type, humidity, temperature and whether it has recently rained. Therefore, November is the perfect month for mushroom picking, when the autumn rains have set in. Mushrooms can also grow from the end of September if it has rained a lot in the summer.
These variable factors make it difficult to know when mushroom season is over. Depending on where you look, it ends before or after December. Our most Boletary colleague shares a trick with us: When you find a mushroom called "Fredolic" or cold mushroom, it means that the cold is coming and with it the mushroom season ends.
2. Where to find mushrooms in Catalonia
Now that you know when the mushrooms will hatch, to be a good boletaire you need to know where to look for them. For starters, experts easily find mushrooms because they already know where they grow. In fact, if they find a mushroom whereabouts, they mark it on the GPS and come back the following year to see if they're lucky again. And if so, that will be his biggest secret from now on. But don't worry if you don't go on an excursion with an expert, we're going to share our secrets on where to go for mushrooms in Catalonia.
The most famous areas for mushroom hunting in Catalonia are usually the following mountain areas: the Montseny Natural Park, Berga or Pont de Suert. But within these areas you need to know how to identify the types of forests if you want to find a specific mushroom, such as:
- Oak forests: Around the oaks you can find mushrooms and the miller.
- Chestnut Woods: In these areas you can spot Caesar's mushroom, sweet tooth or various mushrooms
- Oak and pine forests: nearby we find chanterelles, silversmiths (more in holm oak forests than in pine forests), rúsulas or grey night.
- Riverside or gallery forests: near rivers, streams, ponds, lakes. In this unique landscape you will find oyster mushrooms, devils bolete , black trumpets or wrinkled webcap
Near Barcelona we also have the village of Rupit. It meets almost all requirements to be the ideal place to look for mushrooms: thanks to the wide variety of landscapes, you have access to oak forests, holm oak forests and riparian forests. Best of all, if you want to get away from it all with your family or with your partner, you can stay at the Sènia Rupit campsite. Imagine being on an excursion all day, arriving at the campsite in the afternoon, enjoying the jacuzzi in our Terra accommodation and making a delicious dish with all the mushrooms you have collected... Just a perfect combination!
Now you may be surprised: the Mediterranean climate has a big influence on the appearance of the mushrooms, but the most curious thing is that you can also find mushrooms in areas near the coast!
Because it is close to the sea, when it rains in the woods there is almost the same humidity as in the mountains and this means that mushrooms can even appear on the hill of Pineda de Mar, near the campsite Caballo de Mar. We prefer these mushrooms, because when you eat them, you taste a salty touch in the mouth that the mountain mushrooms do not have.
But if you prefer a forest landscape, don't hesitate to go to the Montseny Natural Park (45 minutes’ drive from the Sènia Caballo de Mar campsite). This area is very easily accessible and you can find different routes to search for mushrooms. For a fun family outing, it is definitely worth staying at one of our campsites: get up early in the morning to go mushroom picking and have fun at the campsite in the afternoon. Children often like to look for mushrooms, for them it is like a treasure hunt.
3. How to identify edible mushrooms
The phrase most often said in the mushroom world is, "If in doubt, throw it out". This is one of the best tips you can get, because there are several poisonous mushrooms that we need to recognize. In Catalonia, the Amanita phalloides, known as flour mill, is the biggest cause of many poisonings every year. Other dangerous species are: Fly agaric and pantherine, Cortinarius, Omphalotus olearius, Tricholoma pardinum and Clitocybe. Furthermore, it is advisable never to pick mushrooms that come directly from a tree or trunk: they are not good for cooking and can even be dangerous for your health.
Instead, here we give you some examples of the edible mushrooms that we could find on our Sènia campsites. In Montseny we find a lot of variety: the easiest to recognize are the chanterelle, yellow foot and the trumpets. On the other hand, in Rupit we can find all kinds.
If you are a beginner in mushroom hunting, you can help yourself with various mobile apps such as: Picture Mushroom (Android/iOS), Mushroom Identificator (iOS), Shroomify (Android, iOS), Book of Mushrooms (Android)... Most applications do not require internet. In addition to extensive information about these mushrooms, they have even more functions. You can mark locations where you found mushrooms (or where you left your car), learn with mushroom identification games, quizzes, guides, etc.
On the other hand, if you like books more than technology, there are several pocket guides with all kinds of information, with more detailed drawings to dive deeper into the world of mushrooms. They are usually small in size so that they can be carried with you when you are looking for mushrooms. There are also those that are well packed to prevent wear and tear. There is much more variety of guides than applications, so we recommend looking for more specific guides based on the area and your culinary preferences...
Finally, we must warn that some applications or manuals are not very detailed or have poor quality images, so we always recommend looking for mushrooms accompanied by someone who has experience with this world, at least the first time.
4. How to pick mushrooms in a responsible way
This is very important for newbies. Responsible mushroom picking means not only not picking poisonous mushrooms, but also taking care of our environment and our own safety.
Before leaving home, it is recommended that you follow these steps:
- Check the weather forecast and learn more about the area where you are going to search. Sometimes we can find areas with restricted access to motorized vehicles, or areas where camping, picnicking or flying drones is not allowed. And they are rules that must be followed so as not to harm the flora and fauna.
- Check the equipment you are going to bring: always bring water and food, striking mountain clothes and appropriate footwear, maps, telephone, GPS. Do not forget about the material for picking mushrooms: a good knife and a wicker basket.
- Check if a search permit is required: in Catalonia you do not need a permit to look for mushrooms, but if you are considering applying these tips in other areas, there are some provinces in the rest of Spain that do require it.
While searching, it is important not to stray too far from our companions and always mark reference points if we are not following a marked trail.
Once we have found a mushroom that interests us, we should check that it is not poisonous (if it is, we should not touch it, but leave it alone). After safely identifying the species, comes the technique: we cut the mushroom at the foot with a knife. Above all, the mushrooms should not be uprooted, nor should we remove the soil: we can spoil the mycelia and harm the next crop or prevent more mushrooms from growing in that place. Then it is important to cover the hole where the mushroom was with the same soil to protect the mycelium.
Here comes our fellow Boliare. While he hasn't revealed everything to us, he did give us some advice to share with you:
"Always carry a basket with you, always!!" - Once the mushroom is picked, it must be placed on a wicker basket with the hymenium (the lower part of the hat) upside down. This causes the mushroom to spread its spores through the holes in the basket so that it can grow again.
Finally, we don't want to forget that the forest belongs to everyone and that our passage should not affect its encroachment. When looking for mushrooms, do not leave any waste or make noise, so that the collection is sustainable and responsible.
5. How to cook mushrooms
Although the charm of mushroom picking lies in being in contact with nature, spending quality time with our loved ones and having an adventure... Do we also have to talk about the best time for the gourmets: take advantage of the fact that they are edible, as they are a great gastronomic wealth.
Mushrooms can be cooked in different ways, these are our recommendations:
- To make creams you can use pumpkin mushrooms or mushrooms.
- Chanterelles are the best to make ruby.
- The red pine mushrooms or bloody milk cap are ideal for making a stew.
- To make an omelette, we also use red pine mushroom and bloody milk cap, as well as oyster mushrooms.
- To make risotto, we recommend the black trumpet, if you find this type of mushroom; you have gold on your hands!
A trick: when you cook mushrooms in the pan, they must not release too much water, otherwise they will cook in their own moisture. It is best not to cut them, but to smear them with oil, and when you are going to cook them, put them in the pan with the hat down. You can add salt, garlic or parsley if you turn them at the end of cooking.
Here we leave you with ore elaborate and equally delicious recipes with mushrooms that you must try.
If you don't have time to make a big recipe the same day you pick the mushrooms, or if you have so many that you can't cook them all at once, don't worry. You can keep them a few days in the fridge! The ideal is to put them in a container without piling them up or covering them, with the hat down.
Mushrooms also have a longer shelf life: once clean and dry, you can cut them into slices and freeze them. Some also blanch them and make preserves with olive oil. But let's be honest: we will not have many left, because they are usually so good that they are already gone the next day.
