As a child in Germany, I would accompany my Tante Louise and cousins into the woods on bicycle until she smelled what she called a "mushroom woods". It was a distinct aroma. A combination of mossy, woodsy, dampness. She was an expert mycologist and could sniff out the tiny orange "Rehele" or the brown capped "Steinpilz" and other edible mushrooms.
On a particularly good day of hunting, we picked a huge basket full of wonderful variety of fungi. Upon our return home, Tante cooked up the most memorable mushroom stew. It was delectable and if I close my eyes, I can still smell the aromas and taste the delicate dish she served up in her kitchen that day.
Below are some of the more interesting ones we found. I was not able to identify them, but when I got home, I looked some of them up on the internet and found at least two that were edible. Not that I would be brave enough to try them!
I loved the speckled look of these two.This one looked like some of the sponges we had seen on the sponge docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida
I can't remember the name of this one, but it is supposedly edible. I thought it looked like little yellow worms squirming up out of the moss.
I'm pretty sure this one was a Chanterelle. We bought lots of them at the Pike Street Market in Seattle. They were delicious!
This one reminded me of a puffball. We used to stomp on them as kids and a big puff of "smoke" would come out of them.
These two were just cute together.
The nest of green moss was nice with these little guys.
This one looked like a big heart.
Life is Good in the Woods!
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3 comments:
I love that woodsy, mossy smell you are talking about. Walking in the woods is one of the true pleasures in life. Mushroom hunting is fun also, but I've been afraid to pick any to eat because I don't know them well enough. My father-in-law sure did, and we would have a feast when he went hunting.
You got some great pictures of the mushrooms. What a great assortment you found! I love the yellow squiggly ones :) My dad used to take us mushrooming and those memories are some of my fondest. Yes, the woodsy, mossy smell is delightful, as is walking in the woods. I wish I knew how to identify mushrooms. I love cooking with them. Yum!
Thanks for sharing the fun and your childhood memory. Your aunt sounds like a wonderful lady.
I wish I could identify the mushrooms I photograph but they're too hard for me. Maybe after reading and using the field guides awhile I might but I doubt it. I'm happy enough to get a chance to go out into the woods and take photos.
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