It’s mushroom season here in the Cape and Pam got her 1 month mushroom license for the month of April. I’m not as passionate about mushrooms but it’s quite cool to learn about these different fungi’s while out on our hikes on the mountain.
We tend to walk in the Newlands Forest along the contours of Table Mountain once a week as Pam leads us along the many paths. I’m pretty sure I’d get lost on my own, but she seems to know every single little path that there is.
Due to the high number of folk collecting mushrooms at this time of year, the city decided to instate mushroom permits to prevent certain individuals hoarding the edible delicacies.
There are options to go on guided mushroom identification and collecting walks on various parts of the mountain. But please beware of guides bringing large baskets and taking a whole lot of mushrooms at a time. The permit only allows 20 mushrooms a week so anyone taking a whole basket is not legal. Some of the guides take 2 tours a day, so you just imagine the number of mushrooms being taken in 1 day.
On this particular Tuesday we walked up the mountain in a circular route then came back through the pine forest where “mushroom alley” is found.
You can see the change in the density of the bush as it thins and the tall trees draw your eyes up!
Pam immediately started spotting mushrooms, some edible and some not. We can see that either squirrels or a dog have also found the mushrooms because a few have been nibbles at or broken by heavy paws.
Pam picks Bolle (Boletus Edulis) or also called porchini mushrooms. The ones we found were about as big as my hand and Pam mentioned that the stalk is the tastiest part.
Then she found some Pine Rings which are orange on the gills! So pretty. Pine rings are usually found under pine trees amongst the pine needles.
As we slowly made our way down the mountain side Shelly the sheepdog disappeared for a few minutes. As we all called for her some hikers ahead of us said she had run ahead and was down the path. To our disgust, a very stinky Shelly walked back to us covered in something smelly. It turned out she had found a spot of rotting mushrooms that she made a point of rolling in and was covered in slimy mushrooms. Did I tell you they smell like rotting meat?!? So gross.
I guess I’ve never taken the time to think about mushrooms or fungi that much. My only exposure are the button mushrooms from the store that I use to make a mushroom sauce for a steak! And now I know that the 5 most poisonous mushrooms (3 are deadly) are all white underneath. So basically, don’t take a chance with any of those in the Western Cape.
I’m finding new friends with different interests and I feel like my life is fifar more interesting than before.
We collected a couple on another walk that I was supposed to bring home to cook, but I sadly forget them in someone else’s bag. Oh well, we will walk again in a couple weeks.
Here’s to #fungifriday and learning new things about mushrooms!
