Mushroom picking, for which this year’s season is coming to an end, has a very long tradition in Poland, that has turned into a real national hobby, if not an obsession. Mushrooms can be picked everywhere, except in nature reserves, national parks and very few private forests.
This contrasts with the Netherlands, where the custom is little known and not cultivated, not only because of the risks involved in accidentally eating a poisonous mushroom, but also it conflicts with the law.
Why these differences? Let us try to explain.
Mushroom picking is not only a Polish passion. We share it with Lithuanians, Russians, Czechs, Germans in the past. In short, with a large part of Central and Eastern Europe. This is due to the fact that for centuries these areas have been, and some of them still are, richly wooded. For the inhabitants of these regions, the forest was a natural resource for obtaining food when other sources failed, for example due to crop failures or wars. That is why mushrooms were sometimes called ‘forest meat’. They were used not only as food. Dried mushrooms powder was used as an insect repelled, the medicinal properties of mushrooms were suspected long before penicillin was invented, and truffles and saplings were considered totally reliable aphrodisiacs.
The element of risk associated with the possibility of mistakenly picking and eating a poisonous mushroom provided a thrill similar to that experienced by the Japanese when enjoying a dish of fugu fish. Due to its toxicity, such a dish can only be prepared by a certified cook. In Poland, on the other hand, there is a rule: we collect only those mushrooms that we are absolutely sure are edible. And since, according to connoisseurs, every edible mushroom has its toxic equivalent, mushrooms have always been a source of both awe and fear.
They were perceived in a similar way in Great Britain, which is best proved by the English names of some of the species occurring there: witches’ hat, destroying angel, poison pie, devil’s urn, witches’ butter or… dead man’s finger. In Poland, one of the most poisonous mushrooms is called Satan – a name that does not leave much room for any doubts.
The custom of mushroom picking is featured in Polish literature and even in films. It was described by Wacław Potocki in his poems and by Adam Mickiewicz in Pan Tadeusz. Both poets emphasised that mushroom picking is very ritual and accompanied by a veil of mystery. The famous film adaptation of PAN TADEUSZ (1999), directed by Andrzej Wajda, includes a scene of mushroom picking.
Nowadays, it is primarily a recreational activity and the one of a very democratic character. It is enjoyed by young and old, city dwellers and enthusiasts of rural silence, corporate managers, and hipsters. Whole families go mushroom picking, often organising competitions for the largest specimen or the most complete basket. In autumn, social media are full of pictures of magnificent boletuses, boletus and bay boletes and the dishes they were used for. Some prepared according to traditional recipes, but there are also ambitious Nouvelle Cuisine projects, such as boletus ice cream. Mushroom picking fits perfectly into the culinary and cultural trends popular in recent years. Mushrooms are a local and ecological product, and the time spent in the forest helps strengthen social and intergenerational ties, as the elders are eager to teach the younger generations how to distinguish edible from poisonous mushrooms and suggest the best places to pick them. According to anthropologist Roch Sulima, all of us are looking not only for mushrooms in the forest but for a close, physical contact with nature and its mysteries.
And let’s admit it – mushrooms are simply delicious. In Polish cuisine we use them in many different ways. So, we have stewed mushrooms, mushroom soups and sauces, marinated mushrooms, dried mushrooms, fermented with sauerkraut, added to bigos or used as the main ingredient in pierogi filling.
In the Netherlands the situation is different, although it is not true that you absolutely cannot pick mushrooms here. You can, but not everywhere and in limited quantities.
We can pick them in our own garden or forest or if the owner of the land allows us to. About 25% of the forests in the Netherlands belong to the state and they are looked after by the STAATSBOSBEHEER. During a single visit to a state forest, you can collect up to 250 grams of forest produce – mushrooms, berries or raspberries. Any surplus will be considered a theft. But beware, some municipalities prohibit foraging altogether and you should always check the regulations in your area. Also, everything you pick in the forest you eat at your own risk. If you get poisoned, the blame is all yours.
The differences in the approach to mushrooming between Poland and the Netherlands result from a different history and geographical conditions. Poland has lived off the land and forests for centuries, whereas the Netherlands have lived off the sea.
We won’t come back from mushroom picking in the Netherlands with a full basket, but in the autumn we can buy cultivated mushrooms and bring back porcini from Poland. Then make kopytka (dumplings) in mushroom sauce with parsley for a dinner for our Dutch friends to empirically explain to them why we are so crazy about mushrooms.
