The healthy forager

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to get familiar with the Russulas. This is a genus of colourful mushroom species – there are yellow, red, pink, green and purple ones (and any shade in between). What attracts me to them is the method of identification: often, smell and taste are involved. I love using these senses. Some Russula smell of coconut, or crab meat, or cedarwood. Others smell fruity, or mild. Some taste hot (you can do a nibble test and spit it out), others nutty. What they have in common is brittle flesh, caused by the shape of their cells: round instead of oval like most mushrooms.

I was very fortunate to come across them on my walk early yesterday morning, and again while out foraging today. I was walking down a track with beech trees, to see if I could spot any Scarletina boletes, and I was about to give up and turn back, when a voice in my head said “just a little further, to that tree over there”. Yes! There they were! Not Scarletina’s, but a wonderful collection of Russulas, the Charcoal Burner.

They taste delicious with a mild, nutty-sweet flavour. However, there is one problem: they make you fart like there’s no tomorrow! And we didn’t just have angel puffs, it was like a proper frog pond. Totally worth it though.

So John and I are all set for another melodious evening – I wish you all a great week and next time I’ll update again about what’s growing on our own patch.