Mushroom Hunting... In Mexico. Part 1

Most people in our modern era are completely clueless about mushrooms. Sure people know about the mushrooms on pizza or the famous campbells cream of mushroom soup, maybe even the Shittake. Most folks have probably consumed maybe 2 or 3 species of mushrooms and believe that the rest will either kill you or send you on a spiritual journey. I've even bought mushrooms at an American supermarket and seen the cashier delicately handle them while making a discomforting face because, as he said, he "doesn't like mushrooms". Somewhere in the history of western culture a phobia was born surrounding mushrooms. Many mushroom enthusiasts believe this might have origins in the fear mongering christian influences of the western world that discriminated anything that threatened their religion, such as the traditional use of hallucinogenic mushrooms that were and are still used in non-christian religions across the world (although there are hypothesis that christianity originated as a mushroom cult and that members of the Vatican still consume hallucinogenic mushrooms, but thats content for another article). Yet there is a whole culinary world of edible wild mushrooms, hundreds of species with unique textures, flavors, and biological origins that fill mushroom enthusiasts with giddy excitement. The biology of the fungal kingdom is even more complex and misinterpreted by countless amounts of amateur biologists, many who preach misinformation to their fellow peers and even their students.

Yet I don't want to get caught up in the biology of fungi just yet. This article is going to be exactly what the title entails. Mushroom hunting in Mexico. Although its not something most people associate with Mexico, mushrooms are a huge part of many traditional cultures in Mexico (not just the hallucinogenic ones) and Mexico is home to possibly the largest diversity of wild mushrooms in the world. During the summer mushroom season dozens of mushroom fairs pop up in cities and small rural pueblos where scientists, enthusiasts and indigenous people meet to celebrate and indulge in the exciting world of Fungi. I have a lot to say on this topic. Its something I love with a deep passion and have fallen in love with mushroom season in Mexico. Its my favorite place and time of the year. I will leave you here with some pictures so you can get a brief mushroomy taste of what is to come.