Mushroom are popping up like...well, like mushrooms, I guess, all over the Pacific Northwest. And-- assuming you're finally getting some rain-- they're probably popping up near your house, too.
I'm sure you're way too smart to try eating any (although wild mushrooms, if you know what you're doing, can be very good to eat. On the other hand, they can kill you, too. So don't take any chances. If you find a mushroom don't just assume it's safe to eat, be sure to get it checked out by an expert. Or else put it in your dad's brocolli first and see what happens.)
Whether you like mushrooms to eat, or even if you don't (I was an adult before I started to like them), they can be pretty darned interesting. So one day a couple months ago I was in Seattle and I rode my bike way out to t
he University district to the annual Fungus Fair. In addition to seeing a lot of the local mushrooms, it gives me a chance to go around saying "Is there a fungus among us?," which is always good for a laugh or two.
he University district to the annual Fungus Fair. In addition to seeing a lot of the local mushrooms, it gives me a chance to go around saying "Is there a fungus among us?," which is always good for a laugh or two. Or not.
So what's a fungus? Besdies that stuff growing between your dad's toes, it's mostly mushrooms. And one of the many interesting things about mushrooms is that the fruiting body (the part you can see) grows up in just a few hours, usually overnight. So the local mycological society (that's people who run around in the woods chasing after musrooms. More about why someone mught want to do that in a minute) goes out a few days before and brings in examples of all the local mushrooms they can find-- and believe me, those people can find a lot. You can even bring in your own mushrooms and they'll help you identify them.
I took a lot of photos, but here are some of the most interesting, mostly involving edible mushrooms, because as far as I'm concerned, those are the nteresting ones.
Probably the best-tasting common mushroom (and no, the ones in the 
supermarket aren't the best-tasting ones; they're just the easiest to grow. In fact, your Aunt Deb lives about a mile away from one of the biggest mushroom farms in the world. You should ask her about it sometime) is the King Boletus, or Boletus edulis. In addition to being very good to eat, the ones that grow here are HUGE! We're talking not just big, but downright ginormous. Some were the size of a dinner plate (look for the quarter I put down in the try to show size. That's a big mushroom.)
supermarket aren't the best-tasting ones; they're just the easiest to grow. In fact, your Aunt Deb lives about a mile away from one of the biggest mushroom farms in the world. You should ask her about it sometime) is the King Boletus, or Boletus edulis. In addition to being very good to eat, the ones that grow here are HUGE! We're talking not just big, but downright ginormous. Some were the size of a dinner plate (look for the quarter I put down in the try to show size. That's a big mushroom.)My other favorite wild mushroom is the chantrelle, partly because it's very 
delicious, and partly because it grows all over the place up there. In fact, I just had a bunch of chantrelles on a big piece of salmon I cooked for dinner. They're good , but-- because they have to be picked in the wild-- they're expensive, too. The guy who was selling these told me he and his wife go out in the woods and pick 10-12 pounds of chantrelles apiece in a day. They sell for $10-15 a pound. You do the math. Wow! You could make a lot of money just walking around in the woods if you knew how to find these babies. I want to learn how! You can buy chantrelles fresh in supermakets here (that's where I got mine), but not in California, as far as I've seen. You can get dried chantrelles there, though.
delicious, and partly because it grows all over the place up there. In fact, I just had a bunch of chantrelles on a big piece of salmon I cooked for dinner. They're good , but-- because they have to be picked in the wild-- they're expensive, too. The guy who was selling these told me he and his wife go out in the woods and pick 10-12 pounds of chantrelles apiece in a day. They sell for $10-15 a pound. You do the math. Wow! You could make a lot of money just walking around in the woods if you knew how to find these babies. I want to learn how! You can buy chantrelles fresh in supermakets here (that's where I got mine), but not in California, as far as I've seen. You can get dried chantrelles there, though.Next, here's some icicle mushrooms, also called Pom-Poms, Lion's Mane, or a 
Bear's Head, or even a Monkey's Head. These are a lot more rare, but are also good to eat. Look at the size of those guys next to my quarter! the kid on the other side of the aisle doesn't look too impressed, though.
Bear's Head, or even a Monkey's Head. These are a lot more rare, but are also good to eat. Look at the size of those guys next to my quarter! the kid on the other side of the aisle doesn't look too impressed, though.Finally, I want to show you some poisonous mushrooms, Amanita muscaria, for several reasons:
- They grow wild here. They also grow wild in the Santa Cruz mountains, although I've ever seen one personally. Some of them get to be the size of a soccer ball.
- Every mushroom you've ever read about in a fairy tale-- bright red with white spots-- is based on the Amanita.In fact in the original version of Sleeping Beauty, the witch gives her an aminita instead of an apple. The Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland is also seated atop an amanita in most versions.
- A few weeks after the mushroom show, I came across this big patch of amanitas on my walk home from the ferry dock. The ones near my house looked even better than the ones in the fancy Mushroom show with all the experts, so here's a photo.
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