Mushroom season: foraging safely in Catalunya
Mushroom picking season arrives with the autumn rains and the Catalan government has published some useful advice for foragers. Mushroom foraging is has become increasingly popular over recent years.
The guidance is available in English, as well as Catalan and Spanish, and includes a comprehensive list of edible and poisonous mushrooms. 126 people were treated for mushroom poisoning between 2010 and 2012 in Catalunya.
It also does some myth-busting – for example, if you put a silver spoon in the basket with your mushrooms and it turns black, this is not an indication of whether the mushrooms are poisonous.
Bloody milk cap or rovelló. Photo Jordi Rius/Generalitat de Catalunya.
The bloody or bleeding milk cap (lactarius sanguifluus) is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in Catalunya, appearing on menus as the rovelló. It is found in pine groves and releases a red liquid when it is cut which quickly turns green.
The guidance advises that if you suspect that you have mushroom poisoning, go immediately to a hospital and, if possible, take a sample of the mushroom with you. Symptoms depend on the mushroom that has caused the poisoning. In the most serious cases – caused by the death cap mushroom – symptoms may take more than 10 hours to appear.
Click here for the guidance.
If you select the Catalan translation for the lists of types of mushroom, there are pictures alongside the descriptions.
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