Stuttgart, Show Me Your 'Shrooms! 🍄
Ever wondered about that weird guy in the market hall, meticulously scrutinizing your basketful of mushrooms? He's Matthias Wolf, Stuttgart's resident mushroom guru!
The day I caught up with Matthias, a laughter-filled Mia P. from Leinfelden handed him a basket, boasting, "Don't worry, it's half-full of hallimash!" Apparently, Mia tried to ID these shroomies using an app, but after discussing her findings with the knowledgeable Matthias...well, let's just say, it's a good thing she didn't trust her mushroom-identifying app blindly!
This IT specialist believes mushroom ID apps still lack the maturity to correctly pinpoint their culinary or toxic properties. According to him, an accurate mushroom ID requires examining the fungi in its entirety and knowing where it was harvested. "If an app can't identify, I can't release," said Matthias, who warns against the perils of mistaking poisonous species like Amanita phalloides for edible varieties like Chanterelle or Porcini.
App Users, Vote & Share Your Shroom Picks!
(By the way, fun fact: Stuttgart is notorious for its autumnal shroom festivals!)
Who said the mushroom market in Stuttgart was all business? Not when there are expert advice moments like these! Intriguingly enough, Matthias correctly identified some of Mia's specimens, including reddish gall fungus, purple scaly chanterelle, lady's pigeon mushroom, flour russula, pouched pigeon mushroom, and copper-red yellow foot. That's quite a mouthful, right? Fear not, as Mia was no stranger to those halli mushrooms. She shared her secret recipes for pickling and making ayvar, proving mushrooms are not just for the table but for the tongue too!
Chef Riccardo Mennini (40) also joined the fun and brought some mushrooms for Matthias's scrutiny. There was one particular russula that had Chef Mennini worried. But did you know, that turning the raw flesh of edible mushrooms in your mouth can help ascertain their safety? If after chewing for 30 seconds, your taste buds start tingling, spit it out! If the sensation remains mild, go ahead and enjoy your gourmet meal!
Remember, some rules are universal, even when it comes to foraging for edible mushrooms! Ensure you extract expert help and local knowledge for safer, consistent mushroom fun. Happy foraging, folks!
- Mushroom ID apps, like many digital tools, can help you identify mushrooms by reference photos and selected categories, but they shouldn't be relied upon as a sole source of information regarding edibility.
- While mushroom identification apps might be useful, they are not yet advanced enough to make final assessments based solely on visual information and machine learning algorithms.
- Experts suggest that you should follow these three rules when relying on mushroom ID apps; 1) complement your identification with local knowledge, 2) prioritize finding a trustworthy field guide, and 3) seek counsel from knowledgeable mycologists in your region.
Sources:
- Mycological Society of America –
- Field Guides –
- Daniel Couvreur –
