Fungi Cultures
The world of mycology works as a way to connect people together with the natural world. With mushrooms having the ability to either kill someone or be a delicious addition to foods, many mushroomers are knowledgeable and dedicated to foraging. With these risks, the mushrooming community finds it important to be continuously learning about each different species of mushrooms and to share stories and knowledge with one another (Baklarz 2023). There are a variety of sites, like iNaturalist where mushroomers can share these stories and knowledge with one another which also develops a stronger sense of community (Baklarz 2023).
Some mushroomers may perform a type of ritual to avoid being poisoned by the toxic varieties. People may perform rituals to cope with anxieties or stressors which can also help boost confidence (Powell 2017). Carol Labuzzetta shared their ritual of identifying unknown fungi.
“A great photo showing the cap and gills (or underside), not just one or the other. You need to see the stem, and a cross-section of the stem — to see if it’s hollow or not.
You need to note where you found the specimen. Was it growing on the ground, on dead trees, on live trees, in the forest, or in your yard?
You need to remember the rules of foraging and take them very seriously. This includes not eating the fungi raw, or trying any that you cannot identify with 100% accuracy. You also need permission to forage on private and some public lands. Know before you go!
Take with you an identification field guide, a bag for your foraged finds, and a sharp blade to help you avoid pulling the fungi out of the ground. Cutting it off at the stem is best.
And remember to be a good role model for others. On the foraging event I organized, one of the college students who was along as a guide or identifier kept putting raw mushrooms into his mouth — even though he admitted he did not know what they were! There were children present! I thought this was very poor form.” (Labuzzetta 2023).
These little rituals of taking time to thoroughly identify mushrooms keeps people safe and also works to relieve stress of eating the unknown. Additionally, these little rituals can become traditions where each mushroomer teaches and practices these rituals themselves. Tradition is a vital, dynamic part of the culture in a folk group (Sims and Stephens 2011). These traditions help continue certain practices within mushrooming which keep people safe and also further develops the knowledge on fungi. Sharing these traditions helps keep them alive and present (Sims and Stephens 2011), further opening up the possibilities these mushroom fanatics can create.
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