The day when we forayed in fungi
Authors of forest book teach us the value of Irish mushrooms
It takes one hell of a long time to grow a tree and, while we are waiting for it to mature, we still have to earn our living. If a profitable food crop can be harvested annually from the forest floor then I for one want to know more about it.
The demand for edible wild mushrooms is increasing rapidly and this has created a niche market that could well be supplied by Irish woodland owners. At present, most of the exotic mushrooms on sale in our delicatessens and supermarkets are imported, but research is ongoing into the feasibility of growing some of the more valuable species in our own woods.
Autumn is the season for mushrooms and in years gone by, when field mushrooms were plentiful, children would gather them in the fields and stand at roadsides displaying them on hanks for sale to passing motorists.
Our once-common white field mushroom is now quite scarce, due to changes in farming practices, but a walk in the woods will confirm that there is no reduction in the potential harvest that lies beneath our trees.
COFORD have recently produced a superb book titled Forest Fungi in Ireland, and to launch it they held a seminar and a 'fungal foray' at Avondale House and woods in Co Wicklow. Avondale is, of course, famous as the home of the Parnell family, but more recently has been the site of many forestry trials and experiments that helped lay the foundation for our current forest industry.
The authors, Paul Dowding and Louis Smith, have given us a book that is packed with information on both the edible and non-edible mushrooms that are to be found throughout Ireland. The text is accompanied by striking photographs of the different species, among which 43 are listed as edible, 14 noted as best avoided and 13 are shown to be poisonous. Each species is described in great detail while constantly warning us of the dangers associated with eating any species we are not sure of.
The relationship between humans and fungi stretches back over millennia and man has learned to use them as food, for medicinal purposes, and even as recreational drugs.
The delicious taste of truffles is famous worldwide, although most of us could not afford to buy them. They can be grown here in Ireland by planting hazel or oak, inoculated with the truffle mycelium. It takes around 10 years from planting to harvest but, given the demand, it could be well worth the wait.
Chanterelles are a species widely available in our shops that could also be grown here commercially, but do avoid the aptly named Destroying Angel, the Death Cap and the Beechwood Sickener.
Some mycologists (mushroom experts) tell us that a tree is simply a fungus with branches. There is a strong case for this school of thought as trees and fungi grow in a symbiotic relationship and need each other to survive. Mushrooms can also be grown commercially within woodland on forestry thinnings but, due to their high value, one must be vigilant against theft. Conifer woods can contain surprisingly high numbers of mushroom species, although older beech and oak woods are best for gathering fungi in the wild.
A seminar was held following the launch and we were given a good insight in to the complexities of fungi and how they interact with so many other species. Following this, we enjoyed a wander in the woods, or a 'fungal foray', where we split into small groups and were entertained and educated by the mycologists present. I was in the group led by one of the authors, Paul Dowding, and his depth of knowledge was amazing as he expounded on dead branches and leaves and the fungi they contained. We were then treated to a tasting of some of the species gathered, cooked on the spot by Paul's co-author, Louis Smith.
I can honestly say this was one of the most interesting forestry outings I have ever attended and COFORD, once again, excelled in presenting knowledge, science and research in a manner that the layman like me can understand and enjoy.
I would encourage anyone with an interest in food and the natural world to get a copy of Forest Fungi in Ireland and have it to hand, for it will add to the pleasure of taking a walk in the woods, and maybe even act as the inspiration for a profitable, alternative farm enterprise.
Copies can be obtained from COFORD at Arena House, Arena Road, Sandyford, Dublin 18, email info@coford.ie or tel 01 213 0725. Cost: €30 plus P&P.
- Joe Barry
