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All About Mushrooms Foraging with Alan Muskat, The Mushroom Man
T houghts On Food / August 9, 2013

Its the largest living organism in the world and lurks in the shadows. It provides the network that permits communication across all things deep in the f orest. It can bring f ear to the uninitiated and a smile to the f ace of those who know its secrets. It goes by many Latin names to distinguish its membership in the gang. Some have taken names that describe their personal character like Puf f ball or Stinkhorn. T heres a f ungus among us and the Bunkycooks recently took to the road to uncover this wild mystery. T he mushroom is of ten misunderstood, especially when it is growing wild in the f orest. T his year has been especially rainy and ideal f or growing certain varieties of mushrooms. If you are not f amiliar with wild mushrooms, you may prof ile them against white button mushrooms that are purchased in styrof oam boxes at your local supermarket. Most of us assume that wild mushrooms will make us sick, kill us, or take us on a psychedelic journey f rom whence theres no return. T here are over 10,000 dif f erent types of

T here are over 10,000 dif f erent types of mushrooms and while most (96%) are not typically eaten, 50% are not edible (too tough, woody, or indigestible), 20% are edible but regrettable and can make you sick, and f inally, 25% are edible but f orgettable, meaning they just dont taste good but are not poisonous. One percent can kill you, which means that only 4% of the mushroom varieties are sought af ter f or f ood. We traveled to Asheville, North Carolina a f ew weeks ago to meet with William Dissen, Executive Chef and Owner of T he Market Place Restaurant, and T he Mushroom Man, Alan Muskat (a f un guy with f ungi ) and Alans f riend, Greer, to learn more about mushrooms. Alan is a local mushroom expert in the Western North Carolina mountains and hosts many classes and f oraging trips to teach his students about mushrooms and other edible plants. With Chanterelle season in f ull swing, we joined William, Greer, and Alan in the f orest to meet their f riends in low places. Note All videos are shot in High Def inition (HD). Be sure to set your You Tube player to 720p to watch in HD. T he South has been drenched with daily rains this summer, of ten heavy, that have taken a toll on many crops. However, to the mushroom, it has been a Chamber of

Alan g ive s o ne mus hro o m a tas te

mushroom, it has been a Chamber of Commerce summer. T his spring was spectacular f or morels in North Georgia while summer brings Chanterelles to the South and f all is prime mushroom season with the greatest variety of edible treasures. During our mushroom With G re e r and Alan expedition, Chef William Dissen provided an education on mushroom basics while Alan Muskat provided colorf ul commentary and expert knowledge.

While on our hunt, we f ound many dif f erent types of mushrooms; most edible and the majority f orgettable in that they may not make you sick, but they just didnt taste good. We discovered mushrooms that looked like opaque jelly, others that were a beautif ul blue, some that lactated when cut, and others that turned blue when bruised. Some were spongy and others f irm. It was like observing f ish on a coral reef ; each with colors and properties unique to themselves. Some were beautif ul, some colorf ul, some tasty, and others unpleasant. And, like a coral reef , we were cautious of the

G re e r and Che f William Dis s e n

Satans Bo le te , Re d -Crac king Bo le te , Fals e J e lly Co ral, Painte d Bo le tte

of the potential dangers. We worked our way through the f orest f loor until we struck the mother load of Chanterelles on a runof f slope in Pisgah National Forest. Chanterelles are prized f or their almondlike aroma and meaty texture. Blac k-Fo o t Po lyp o re , Ye llo Patc he s , Le athe rb ac k Milk Cap , und e rs id e o f the lac tating Le athe rb ac k Milk Cap T hey cost upwards of $30.00 per pound (if they are even available) at the market. Most are orange in color and a conical f lower in shape, with no gills. T hose that have gills are called f aux Chanterelles and are best lef t alone. Some are red in color and are prized f or their f lavor and texture. As we began to harvest the mushrooms, Alan told us how each mushroom is a blossom of the f ungus that extends under the soil. T hat f ungus can stretch great distances (in Oregon, a f ungus three miles wide has been f ound) through the Mycelium. T hese tiny f ibers, 1/7th the size of a hair, can wrap and extend f or

The Mo the rlo ad s e as o n fo r Chante re lle s

and extend f or miles and provide inf ormation to all living plant lif e in the f orest. A morning of mushroom f oraging yielded a f ew pounds of Chanterelles and a ton of mushroom knowledge. If you are interested in learning more about mushrooms, be sure to ref er to Alan Muskats website and if youre in Asheville, take part in one of his mushroom classes or f oraging adventures. If youre interested in eating mushrooms, then take a trip to Asheville and join Chef Dissen at his restaurant, T he Market Place. Posted by Gwen on August 9, 2013

Re d Chante re lle s

We we re all hap p y to take s o me Chante re lle s ho me with us

2013

Myc e lium attac he d to the Wo lf Fart mus hro o m

Alan and G re e r