After the first heavy rain showers of this fall, everbody seems to be under the spell of the mushroom hunt. The harvest is proudly shared on Facebook. The more and the bigger, the better!
Being fresh import, we were still somewhat suspicious. But after our neighbor gave us two large mushrooms, we dare to eat them for the first time. And how delicious they were!
Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera)
This edible wild mushroom is called the parasol mushroom in English. In the beginning they grow in a cone shape, but later they unfold like a parasol. The meat is very firm and white. We baked it with a little garlic and salt, following the neighbor’s instructions. We did not eat the stem. They say you can make soup with it.
Afterwards we discovered them in our own garden, so we don’t have to go into the forest to hunt for mushrooms.
The Portuguese enthusiasm for wild mushrooms is very understandable, and you catch the fever easily. Everyone enjoys to pick such a delicacy in the wild for free. Not without danger, because the parasol mushroom has some poisonous family members, like the stinking parasol or dapperling, the deadly dapperling and the chestnut dapperling.
Talking about chestnuts: at the moment this seasonal delight is also to be found! In a few days on Saint Martin’s day (November 11) accompanied with a glass of young wine, it will be a (safe) delicious treat at the various village festivals.
Portuguese words during the mushroom season
| mushrooms | cogumelos |
| edible | comestível |
| poisonous | venenoso |
| parasol mushroom | frade/guarda-sol |
| harvest | colheita |
| wild mushrooms | cogumelos silvestres |
| fever | febre |
03-11-2019