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| Being the answers to some frequently asked questions about mushrooms and mushroom hunting. | |
We realize that knowledge concerning the EDIBILITY of certain mushrooms is a matter of major importance to most mushroom hunters and if you wonder why our club chooses not to label those mushrooms customarily eaten by us as "EDIBLE", there are a number of factors involved:
1. "Poisonous" is a relative term and to some people it may indicate that you are certain to die if you taste that species. To others, it may mean that they are likely to experience some sort of uneasiness or digestive disturbance. You should become familiar with the different groups of mushroom toxins and their differing effect on the body. Some species may have good taste but may cause delayed reactions hours or even days later, as in some cases of Amanita or Galerina poisoning. Other species may be classified as poisonous because they are bitter or peppery. Many species have never been tested.
2. Individuals may differ in their allergic reaction to different mushrooms.
3. Chemical substances in mushrooms may prove toxic when consumed in large quantities. Individuals may differ in their threshold to a specific toxin and not be affected until the toxin has reached a certain level. Another meal of that species may then prove to be fatal, as with certain species of Gyromitra.
4. Some toxins, like in some Gyromitras, are highly volatile and may be released during cooking. The person breathing the odors during cooking with be poisoned, whereas the person eating the cooked mushroom might not be affected.
5. Some species of mushrooms that are edible when eaten alone, may cause harmful reactions when consumed with other foods. Some species of Coprinus, consumed with alcohol, may cause frightening heart palpitations and other symptoms.
6. Some mushrooms, regarded as one and the same species, may be considered as edible on one part of the world and poisonous in another. Genetic variation through time (evolution) of separate populations could account for the different characteristics.
7. A person may misidentify an edible species as being a poisonous one and be confused when "old-timers" say they regularly eat that species. This may be the case when people think they have eaten Russula emetica. Many species of Russula come in varying shades of red.
8. A species may have once been determined to be poisonous and future generations hesitant to experiment, and so the poison label remains.
9. Genetic studies have indicated that some edible species of mushrooms may be found to contain genetic information from another species, enabling it to synthesize a toxic compound.
When eating a new species not previously tested, be sure to restrict it to that one species, otherwise you would not be able to identify the culprit. And always save out a few uncooked samples for identification in case of reactions. In the event you do have suspicious symptoms, get your samples to an "expert" for a positive ID. This is the first thing the Poison Center would like to know. Our Blodgett Regional Poison Center number is: 1-800-POISON-1 (1-800-764-7661). They have a list of "experts" in case you don't.
*Quoted, in part, from Mr. Herbert Harper's publication, "MUSHROOM Reference & Check List."
Obe Schrader
Education Chair
