Common misconceptions about wild mushrooms

As in many parts of Turkey, many mushroom species have emerged in the forested areas in and around İzmir, which received above-average rainfall in November and December.

Groups that come together via social media, especially on weekends, are heading out into nature to forage for mushrooms.

Experts are warning nature lovers about poisonous mushrooms.

Mycologist Jilber Barutçiyan, known for his books "Mushrooms of Turkey" and "Macro Fungi," stated that the weather conditions this autumn have increased mushroom productivity.

Emphasizing that Turkey is a very rich geography in terms of mushrooms, Barutçiyan stated that those who collect mushrooms based on hearsay should be aware of the risks.

Stating that the mushroom species known among the public as "çıntar" has been consumed heavily in the vicinity of İzmir recently, Barutçiyan said, "Çıntar is a mushroom with a very short shelf life. It is a mushroom that spoils very quickly. Like other food items, mushrooms lead to poisoning when they are spoiled. Even if not fatal, they lead to food poisoning. Our mushrooms are collected without awareness, and unfortunately, we can encounter poisonings because of this."

Stating that all the generalizations about mushrooms circulating among the public are wrong, Barutçiyan spoke as follows:

"There is also a saying among mushroom collectors like 'The villagers know.' 90 percent of poisonings come from rural areas. If they knew, they probably wouldn't poison themselves. Unfortunately, there is no valid method, technique, trick, or shortcut to distinguish edible, poisonous, or deadly species from one another. If you do not identify the mushroom with scientific precision and check its edibility from an up-to-date source, and if you consume the mushroom based on hearsay, unfortunately, your probability of poisoning is very high."

YOU CANNOT GET PROTEIN FROM MUSHROOMS

Noting that mushrooms are thought to be a protein store and that this is incorrect information, Barutçiyan said the following:

"Mushrooms have been seen as a protein store throughout history only because their texture resembles meat. Of course, there is a small amount of protein in mushrooms. However, these proteins are types that are not assimilated by the human body. In other words, if you say 'I am eating mushrooms instead of meat,' you are only fooling yourself. You cannot get protein. Mushrooms are only a food source rich in some vitamins and some minerals, but other than that, they do not have much nutritional value."

Sevim Şahin, who conducts research on wild mushrooms in İzmir and organizes mushroom foraging workshops, also explained that she has been participating in scientific studies with academics for 20 years.

Stating that around 60 thousand mushroom species have been identified in the world, Şahin stated that there are also many species in Turkey.

Noting that İzmir has received a lot of rain this year and that mushrooms that have not been seen or have been seen very little in the last 5 years have started to appear, Şahin spoke as follows:

"With the increase in rainfall and the abundance of mushrooms, especially with the increase in mushroom groups on social media in recent times, the mountains and hills are almost full of people. People go to collect mushrooms both for economic reasons and to do sports in nature, but this can lead to poisonings. The biggest problem is that people eat mushrooms without knowing or recognizing them, by following advice such as 'My neighbor said so,' 'The villager knows,' 'We fried and ate them,' or 'Fry them with eggs.' The most important thing is not to consume mushrooms without identifying them 100 percent. It is necessary to collect mushrooms under the supervision of an expert. We can take photos for hobby purposes, we can observe them, but if we are thinking of consuming them, we must get help from an expert."

Explaining that many pieces of misinformation are circulating among the public, Şahin concluded her words as follows:

"Our people generally think in the following way: 'If we boil a poisonous mushroom with milk, the poison goes away,' 'If it is dried, the poison goes away,' 'If a slug or worms have eaten the mushroom, that mushroom is not poisonous,' 'If we boil the mushroom with a silver spoon and the spoon turns black, it is poisonous, but if the spoon does not turn black, it is not poisonous,' 'A poisonous mushroom and a non-poisonous mushroom do not grow side by side.' They have many such common misconceptions. In this sense, these, of course, increase the risk of mushroom poisoning. There is no joking with mushrooms. Very poisonous mushrooms can be very fragrant and very delicious. Very poisonous mushrooms are consumed with pleasure by snails and other living things. They are not toxic for them, but they can be deadly for us. The poison of a mushroom is not removed by drying it, eating it with ayran, or boiling it with milk."