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What is recommended reading for getting started with mushroom foraging?

It seems like such an interesting activity.



Whatever you do, make sure your source is relevant to where you live. Every so often there's a tragic story about immigrants going foraging and poisoning their families because what they could safely identify and eat in their home country doesn't transfer to North America.


I recommend this [1], you'll be foraging like top Russian rocket scientists in no time.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Astrodynamics-Dover-Aero...


As a note, information you learn from one place doesn't really apply to another (ie: it's non fungible haha). In Oregon someone from the old country went foraging and died because a fungus here (poisonous) looked like a fungus there (edible).



"All that the Rain Promises and More" by David Arora is a good place to start. But I'd recommend that you go out with your local mycological society to make sure you're identifying them correctly before you try eating any. Me personally, I stick to 2 types of mushrooms: chantrelles and boletes. They're hard to misidentify in my area.


There is one boletus you should definitely avoid:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubroboletus_satanas


Mushroom foraging is highly local. Chances are you have a nearby mushroom group which could recommend a book that's good for your area.


The vast majority of literature on the subject that I have seen uses drawings, not pictures... Probably part of the reason why this hobby has the reputation of killing people (in my country, Bulgaria, during the 90s and 00s). Not really answering your question, but it reminded me of...


As a contrepoint, when drawing you can emphasize on the specific features of the mushroom you're drawing whereas pictures are always being more ambiguous. And if the mushroom you're about to pick has unclear specific features, you should not pick it anyway!



These guys seem to know their stuff. There is a discord also. https://www.shroomery.org/


There is one basic rule to survive: not sure(like 100% absolutely sure) - don't gather.


I think that's something best learned in person.


Even then it's very advisable to go out into the wilderness with a trained professional.




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