Edu365.cat

Passion for mushrooms in the Catalan Countries is a fact. At the end of summer and during the autumn, hoards of people head for the woods, with their baskets in hand, eager to pick the best.

Of course, sometimes the basket is filled, and at other times not. Patience, skill and experience have a big part to play, but the most important thing is that the season is good, that mushrooms actually grow. And that depends on the weather, on meteorological conditions.

For mushrooms to grow, it really needs to rain. What mushrooms need above all are damp conditions. But even that is not enough: after the rain, a few days of fine weather are needed, with sun and no wind.

In these conditions, our woods fill with all kinds of mushrooms. But be careful! Not all, by a long way, are edible. Some are toxic and there are a number that contain deadly poisons. Therefore, a great deal of caution is needed so that the basket is only filled with well-known mushrooms, ones that are known for certain to be edible.

Some of these edible mushrooms are very tasty whether eaten on their own or in a stew, omelette or broth. Here are some different types.