Mushroom Hunting - Identifying Mushrooms

Identifying Mushrooms

A large number of mushroom species are favored for eating by mushroom hunters. The king bolete is a popular delicacy. Sulphur shelf (also known as Chicken Mushroom or Chicken of the Woods) is often gathered because it occurs in bulk, recurs year after year, is easily identified, and has a wide variety of culinary uses. Lactarius deliciosus (Pine Mushrooms), Chanterelles, Morels, Oyster Mushrooms, Puffballs and Polypores are among the most popular types of mushrooms to gather, most of these being fairly simple to properly identify by anyone with practice. Much more care, education, and experience is typically required to make a positive identification of many species, however, and as such, few collect from more dangerous groups, such as Amanita, which include some of the most toxic mushrooms in existence.

Naturally, there are abundant mushroom guides, i.e. field guides on mushrooms available, but especially in the Slavic countries the ability to identify and prepare edible mushrooms is usually passed down through generations.

Identification is not the only element of mushroom hunting that takes practice — knowing where and when to search does as well. Most mushroom species require very specific conditions—some only grow at the base of a certain type of tree, for example. Finding a desired species that is known to grow in a certain region can be a challenge.