Nesnovna kulturna dediščina

MUSHROOM PICKING

območje : Podkarpackie
kategorija : oral traditions
Mushroom picking is an old Polish tradition cultivated especially in areas covered with forests - Podkarpacie Province is certainly one of such regions. There are few forests in Western Europe and therefore the citizens of Holland or the United Kingdom can only look with envy at countless wild mushrooms growing in the forest undergrowth in Poland. They also rarely fully understand our passion for mushrooms. Those nations certainly do not have a strong tradition of mushroom hunting.
You can see it clearly in the English language, which practically does not have words for particular kinds of mushrooms other than a general term ‘mushroom’. The British even use the same word to call champignons! To determine the mushroom species, they have to reach for the Latin names. In fact, it is nothing really surprising, as there are no mushrooms left on the British Isles and the terms for them seem to be useless. However, in the Podkarpacie Province these names are necessary. The forests in this area belong to the most important sanctuaries of different kinds of mushrooms on the whole continent – only in the Bieszczady Mountains there are about one thousand species, including many rare and endangered ones. Over the centuries residents of the region, who always appreciated taste of mushrooms, have developed a unique tradition concerning collecting and eating mushrooms.

Its most beautiful picture can be found in Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz, and although it took place in Lithuania, it certainly reflects the traditional picture of that old custom – characteristic especially for the nobility:

Of mushrooms there were plenty: the lads gathered the fair-cheeked fox-mushrooms,
(…)
The young ladies hunted for the slender pine-lover,
which the song calls the colonel of the mushrooms.
All were eager for the orange-agaric; this, though of more modest stature
and less famous in song, is still the most delicious,
whether fresh or salted, whether in autumn or in winter. (…)”.

As a reward for finding the largest, the most splendid mushroom, a young man could sit beside the most beautiful lady. Of course, if it was a lady not a man who won the victory, she could sit next to the most elegant gentleman. It is not surprising that participation in mushroom picking was associated mostly with fun and not only with stocking the pantry for winter.

However, mushrooms were not only eaten fresh (in mushroom sauce, soup, stewed or fried) but also as preserves for winter. They were most frequently marinated, but also dried, salted and less often pickled. For centuries marinated mushrooms were also served with alcoholic beverages and dried mushrooms were added to the most traditional Polish dishes. Even today, it is hard to imagine Christmas without mushroom dumplings or cabbage dumplings with mushrooms. Centuries-old presence of the latter has been documented in the List of Traditional Products, where you can find Pilsen dumplings with cabbage and mushrooms (dried in winter or fresh in summer).



The most appreciated mushroom is Boletus edulis, called also penny bun but there are other: Leccinum, Suillus, Xerocomus, Tricholoma, Armillaria and of course Lactarius deliciosus, commonly known as red pine mushroom, which is particularly tasty and perfectly suitable for pickling. Unfortunately, mushrooms are not frequent every year, they crop heavily in the Carpathian fir forests every few years. Mushrooms can be picked - depending on their species – in summer or autumn. The most common mushroom regions are Podkarpacie Province, Leżajsk, Lubaczów, Sieniawa and of course the Bieszczady Mountains as well as The Beskids.

The tradition of picking mushrooms is particularly important as far as tourism is concerned - many enthusiasts of red pine mushrooms or penny buns come here for a few days’ rest, especially during the time of \"Polish golden autumn\". Some people argue that mushrooms are best picked in solitude, others reach for old Polish tradition and prefer group hunting. No matter how, but it is clear that mushroom picking always goes together with active recreation, contact with nature, and above all healthy and extremely tasty culinary traditions.

To meet the expectations of visitors, many tourist farms provide special offers for mushroom lovers, both the experienced ones and the beginners. They offer, for example, help in choosing the edible mushrooms or run culinary workshops, devoted to different ways of preparing and preserving mushrooms. After such an experience, not only will you feel relaxed, but you will also bring home mushrooms you’ve picked, and either cooked according to traditional recipes or dried in special ovens.

The greatest advantage, however, is the fact that your mushrooms were tested by experts and are safe. You always need to remember that there are 100 times more poisonous mushrooms than the edible ones and if you want to pick mushrooms, you really need to learn a lot.










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