Foraging for mushrooms is a national pastime in Poland. Throughout the Autumn months, a wander through the forests will reap a reward of edible Chanterelles, Penny Buns and Bay Boletes as well as some of the more notoriously nasty species of funghi nestled amongst the undergrowth. More people than ever are taking to the woods, perhaps drawn in by the rural aesthetic, the delightful mystery of the potentially dangerous hobby or even the foodie delights of fresh wild mushrooms on the dinner table1. These foragers cover a wide range of society and local folk knowledge of which mushrooms to pick (mistakes can have deadly consequences) is often passed down between families2. The best mushroom hunting spots can be a closely guarded family secret.
"Last year, mushroom pickers in Poland interrupted U.S. military exercises in a forest near Żagań despite many warnings in both Polish and English about heavy artillery shooting. But it had rained a few days before, and it was early fall, so priorities had to be maintained—it was perfect timing for mushroom hunting, tanks or no tanks. The U.S. command had to cancel the maneuvers. (Agata Brewer, 2018) "
Marcin Kotowski (Assistant Professor at the Polish Academy of Sciences) conducted interviews with individuals across villages in the Mazovia region of Poland and found that the collection of mushrooms was not limited to those of low economic status. It is viewed as a recreational activity rather than a necessity to survive or for financial gain
3. Until 1999, all school children were made to complete a compulsory class in mushroom identification and there are mushroom identification guides published for all ages that can be found in most Polish bookshops.
Men in Poland tend to be slightly more involved in mushroom picking in contrast to plant foraging which is usually the domain of women and children2. However, the whole family is involved in the cooking and preparing of mushrooms which I will discuss more in my next blog. Luczaj theorises that this could be related to mushrooms fulfilling the role of the hunt (which has traditionally being a male domain) due to the fleeting nature of fungal appearances. This could also be due to the competitive nature of mushroom picking and the fact it is sometimes compared to national sporting events4. Poland is an exception to the rule with the majority of mushroom foragers in other countries being women5 but without more in-depth study into gender roles and gender bias in Polish culture, it is difficult to come to a firm conclusion as to why this may be the case.
It is also important to note that there was once a class difference in the consumption of mushrooms. The scholarly classes of 16th and 17th Century Poland held similar mycophobic (wary of mushrooms as a food source) views as those of Western Europe. Many respected botanists of the time wrote cautious tales in their herbals. However, the 'folk' or lower classes were rarely able to access these scientific studies and relied on folk knowledge which saw mushrooms as a vital part of Polish life. Mushrooms composed a large part of their diet and were a vital source of income for centuries as the more favoured funghi were sold at market6. This class difference began to shift in the 18th and 19th Centuries as scientists began to better understand mushrooms as a food source and edible mushroom guides began to be mass produced.
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I saw a man, who after eating mushrooms fell into gasping/and into whirring and into faintness with the stomach ache/and from who cold sweat ran. Excerpt from: O ziołach tutecznych y zamorskich. Spiczyński, H. 1571.
Kraków. Licence: Public Domain.
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During the era of the Polish People's Republic (1947-1989) workplaces would organise trips to go mushroom picking trips to both supplement food availability and as a source of entertainment. Many used the trips as an excuse to drink and let their hair down and enjoy nature as is still seen today7. Now people of all walks of life enjoy foraging for mushrooms across Poland, most Polish people go once a year, although the duality of delicacy and danger is by no means a thing of the past1.  |
Bay Bolete/Podgrzyby Brunatny (Boletus Badius) commonly
foraged in Polish forests. Photo: Stux-Pixabay |
With mushroom picking being so
highly regarded in Polish culture, folk beliefs around what type of mushrooms are safe to eat and when the best times to pick them are likely to have evolved. A quick ask on some of the Polish Facebook groups such as
Polish Food, Traditions and Fun revealed some anecdotes about the joys of mushroom picking and their memories of time spent in the forest. Some say not to pick gilled mushrooms (although that is no guarantee of safety as some Boletes such as
Boletus Luridiformis may still cause a nasty stomach upset). Others state that the full moon is the best time to pick mushrooms or that if you chattered away whilst foraging the mushrooms would hear you coming and hide. The latter may have been a bid to keep a talkative grandchild quiet on their adventures!
So what of those who leave Poland and travel to Britain, bringing with them their love of mushroom picking and their vast folk knowledge of edible funghi? Food and foodways represent a hugely important part of the migrant experience and the act of gathering food for the table adds another layer of meaningfulness to the role the mushroom plays in Polish cuisine and culture. Mushroom picking is an act of meaning-making and one that encompasses ideas of sharing (both food and knowledge), anti-capitalist politics and culturals relationship with nature and the food we eat8.
The biggest difference the Polish diaspora will find on their arrival to Britain is the legalities of foraging for food. Across Poland, forests are state-owned and foraging is legal for both personal and commercial usage (a list of mushrooms allowed for commerce is produced by the Polish government although many people eat mushrooms outside of the designated safe list3). For Christians, as many Polish people identify, the right to forage is written in the book of Genesis itself and goes beyond any law set by the government.
"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." (Genesis 1:29)
In the UK, foraging is more complicated legally. There is a general right to collect funghi from any land if they are growing wild and it is for personal use however this does not apply to land under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act and many lengthy court battles have ensued as the ownership of funghi has been debated9.
There have been issues in the past 10 years or so with large scale mushroom picking for commercial sales across English forests. In 2016 the New Forest Forestry Commission attempted to put a ban on mushroom picking. Polish and other Eastern European immigrants to the UK are frequently blamed for large scale foraging despite the fact that foraging for financial gain in a rarity for mushroom pickers in Poland. Many, frankly racist, articles have popped up in the likes of The Sun and the Daily Mail warning the UK of violent gangs of Polish pickers stripping the forest of funghi.
Interestingly almost all the UK foraging blogs I came across in my research depicted a very different image of these 'gangs'.
Forage London,
Galloway Wild Foods and conservationist
Peter Marren have all written that these are often just Polish or Lithuanian families engaging in their cultural traditions. As John at Forage London writes,
"I have never seen one of these organised gangs, but I have met three or four families out picking mushrooms together, a perfectly normal pastime in most of Europe but not in the fungiphobic UK. It’s just not part of our cultural heritage, but how quick we are to raise arms the second anyone else takes an interest"10. Our mycophobic heritage in Britain can lead to the othering of migrants who have a love for funghi or similar traditions such as carp fishing and add to the racism Eastern Europeans often experience as part of their migrant journey.
Despite these negative connotations experienced by Polish foragers it is important to note that for many Polish people in Britain, mushroom picking is a way to connect with home. The act of mushroom picking brings with it a sense of nostalgia and reminiscence of time spent with family. Like mycelium connecting mushrooms to the forest, customs and traditions connect Polish migrants with their heritage. Trawling through Polish migrant blogs has revealed many fond stories of re-enacting their tradition in the forests such as Epping and the Surrey hills or visiting family in Poland who pass on their mushrooming knowledge.
"My Polish father was brilliant at finding mushrooms. We found so many in the Surrey hills that we had washing lines of them drying in the kitchen. English friends were nervous about trying them, but we never poisoned anyone!...I still look for mushrooms 40 years after his death, something special we shared." (Eva Patry, Polish Food, Traditions and Fun.)
In recent years, mushroom foraging has become a more popular pastime for British residents of all backgrounds and, whilst this is not the space to analyse this trend for foraging and wild food, perhaps it is worth noting that this could be a response to the sharing of cultural traditions as mushroom loving communities integrate with those who see mushrooms less favourably.
In my next blog post I will look at the next stage on the mushroom journey including preparing, cooking and eating and the mushroom's place in Polish festive traditions and foodlore.
References
5 Garibay-Orijel, R. Ramirez-Terrazo, A. & Ordaz-Velazquez, M. (2012)
6 Kotowski, M. (2019) History of mushroom consumption and its impact on traditional view on mycobiota – an example from Poland. Microbial Biosystems, Vol 4 No 3, pp 1-13
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