Talking Fungi with a Fun Guy
***Original published in South Mountain Press, Sept 21, 2018***
When you speak of mushrooms to the average Manitoban, they think of three things: the washed out, tasteless stems and pieces from a can; the ‘magic’ ones that come from BC or; heaven forbid, do not eat any wild ones because you will poison yourself.
But after speaking with Head Chef Chris Bevan over at Clubhouse 204 located at the Riding Mountain National Park golf course, I gained a new appreciation for the range and variety of different fungi available year round in our Manitoban fields and forests.
Before you go running into the bush and start popping mushrooms into your mouth, there are a few important caveats regarding these delectable, floral fruits of the woods. There are thousands of varieties of fungi in Canada and rules of thumb cannot be relied upon. Chris’s advice is to concentrate on a couple of types in order to keep from running afoul of the poisonous ones.
Thankfully there are only a few deadly varieties found in Manitoba, such as the Amanita virosa or Destroying Angel. This toxic mushroom is described as extremely common and can be mistaken for the white button, store bought mushrooms or edible wild puffballs. It has been reported that just half a mushroom cap can kill a healthy adult.
Other non-edible mushrooms could result in severe gastrointestinal stress. Some cannot be consumed while drinking alcohol. There are a few that will cause liver damage. Some like Comb Tooth or Coral Fungus varieties grow on dead wood when normally it is live wood fungi that are edible. There are plenty of toxic imposters that are labelled ‘False’ such as False Morels or Chanterelles that masquerade as the edible variety.
The insect killing toxin in the Amanita Muscaria, or Fly Agaric, needs to be boiled out a couple of times before it is edible. As a side note, there is a traditional Russian practice of just pickling this mushroom and later drinking the liquid as a type of alcohol.
The moral when it comes to morels or all the rest of these fascinating products of nature is to take your time, do your due diligence, and use multiple sources for reference. Be 100% sure of your fungi identification and method of proper preparation before consumption.
Chris had the following suggestions for the novice wild fungi forager: Enlist the aid of people who know more than you; Chris first developed a love of foraging while with his grandpa who started pointing out what to look for. Use multiple sources of reference; Chris uses several mushroom guides such as Mushrooms and Other Fungi of the North America, Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada, Common Mushrooms of the Northwest, and a phone app called Roger’s Mushrooms. Always start slow, be 100% sure of the species, and keep on top of what new information becomes available.
Chris serves wild mushrooms to his diners and he is 110% sure of what is going on the menu. For example, the Lobster mushroom develops from a parasite which attacks another mushroom variety and turns it into a highly sought after, delectable treat. Supposedly, this zombie fungi parasite can even transform a toxic mushroom into one that is edible. Chris does not take chances with his guests so he makes sure the original host mushrooms were edible in the first place.
So once you have yourself a good sampling of treats from the woods, what do you do with them? According to Chris, the tried and true light frying in butter can never be a bad choice. The earthy, floral, savory (umami) tastes of an early spring morel, summer King or Red Cap Bolete, or fall Oyster mushroom can be enjoyed au naturel. Just remember to start slow with small portions because most people’s systems are not used to wild produce.
For those cooks who are more adventurous, mushrooms such as Puffballs can be cut into cubes, dehydrated and then added to soups or stews similar to bouillon cubes. Considering in a good year Puffballs can be almost a foot-wide, that could be a large cauldron of soup!
When it comes cooking with these woodland delicacies, you are only limited by your imagination and Chris regularly uses them for soups, cream sauces, risotto, and his schnitzel recipes to add a unique, flavourful zing.
Generally, Chris is tromping around in the woods or the fields finding his fungi quarry from early spring to late fall until the first real killing frosts. He is hoping for a nice wet fall to kick start a late crop. But even in the dead of winter there is fungus to look for.
Chaga, from the Russian word for mushroom ‘чага’, is a parasitic growth that can be found on birch trees. Indigenous Russians of the Ural Mountains have used chaga tea for thousands of years for its health benefits. Surprisingly, it tastes like chamomile tea with hints of vanilla. It takes years for a chaga growth to develop on the side of a birch tree and if you are lucky enough to spot one, then you are in for a pleasure.
Happy foraging and even if you come up empty, you will get some exercise and fresh air out in beautiful, fall Manitoba.
Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.