Mushroom Hunters Of Taiwan
In spring and fall, the mountain forests of Taiwan are filled with mushroom hunters. These mushroom hunters are also known as “pickers.” Some, of course, are merely hobbyists or Taiwanese that are purely looking for dinner. The real Mushroom hunters are a different breed. They make their living by tracking down this pricey fungi. For them, it is a way of life. They pitch their tents in small camps and daily go out into the jungles. The commercial pickers follow traces in nature to locate particular types of mushrooms. There is one mushroom that is found a few feet from the Japanese Pine tree. Each mushroom has it's own pattern. It is almost like following a forest map. In the case of mushrooms, they follow the trees and shrubs that give clues on their location.
Taiwanese mushroom hunters, like those the world over, can often be spotted on remote trails and dirt roads in the mountains. They camp out for days at a time. You will recognize them by their packs and baskets strapped to their backs. When they find a good patch, they stay till their baskets are full. The mushroom hunter lives in harmony with nature,. They use nature to track the particular specie of mushroom being hunted. It is like a driver following a map. Their map is nature and the signs that they see.
The Taiwanese are extremely health conscious. Many of the Buddhists are vegetarians, eating only vegetables.Because of this trend in healthy eating, mushrooms are popular and are in big demand. Mushrooms are generally alkaline. In the Taiwanese mushrooms you can find as many as 100 different antibiotics. They have many different amino acids, fiber and minerals. They supply the much needed potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorous to the daily diet. In the mushroom you will find the essentials for robust health. Many believe that they are important for the successful prevention of many different tumors and other growths. The natural ingredients of the garden, fresh fish, and the different fungi that grow in the mountains of Taiwan, team together for the perfect diet. Healthy eating is being pushed by Taiwan's health gurus. There is great demand for the mushroom hunter.
As long as there are people desiring to eat a healthy diet, restaurants, markets, and herb shops, the mushroom hunters will be in high demand. So next time you sit down to a good Taiwanese meal, remember those who make their livelihood bringing them to a market near you. Taiwan is a great place to study healthy eating. Make this the year you study the secrets of the mushrooms that grow on the island and how to prepare them. Learn about the black fungus mushroom, that is so in demand the world over. It is one found only in certain places in the world. It is a rare Taiwanese mushroom. Take forging trips into the jungle mountains. A Taiwanese adventure in mushroom forging and preparation awaits. Who knows, you may even meet the mushroom hunters who bring them to market.
Happy Travels,
Mushroom Hunters Of Taiwan
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Pretty interesting how people prepare to take food ! Awesome post and hope you make more of them :D
We have plenty of material, videos, ebooks and more. Mushrooms has been some of our most successful posts on our website.
Nice to read this, do these hunters make a good living off of this or is it just enough to survive?
Another thing I guess these guys must be very experienced because I know some mushrooms are dangerous and look pretty much like the edible ones. Or maybe there are no dangerous mushrooms in Taiwan?
The mushroom hunters of Taiwan are professional and sell them at open markets or to people who do sell at open markets. There is also Chinese Medicine culture that also creates strong demand. So there is a financial incentive to know what you are doing, and to be able to market these healthy treats.