Shrooms of Éireann
By Ailbhe Doyle
Fungi are the endlessly supportive parent to all plant species on earth. They build the soil in which they sprout, grow, and live. Throughout the plant’s life, they help to feed and water and protect them. Fungi also deal with the remains of the plant when it dies. Once the plant reaches the end of their life cycle, the fungus steps in to decompose and recycle the remains, also making it bioavailable for other plants (so sustainable of them).
We have some fine fungal specimens here in Ireland. The Black Trumpet is one of my favourite mushrooms around. It appears exactly as it is labelled, and although this doesn’t look like much compared to some of its counterparts, it is safe and tasty to eat. There are also no poisonous look-alikes, so if you feel like a forage, it is one of the safer options. They are quite dark and that makes them hard to find but their shape makes them stand out, just keep your eyes peeled for a miniature-black-trumpet-looking object sticking out of the ground.
Saffron Milk Caps are another great wild mushroom in Ireland. It is sometimes called the pine mushroom because it is only found growing under pine trees. It has a very meaty texture, so it is great for vegetarians, perhaps a local oyster! This mushroom is bright orange in colour and looks quite mystical, even more-so because when its cut, the bright orange fades to green - straight out of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. When you cut into this mushroom, it leaks a thick orange juice and this really stains... but it’s fun to play with.
Giant Puffballs are one of the biggest fungi in the world. The giant relative can grow to the size of a small sheep! Unsurprisingly, it only foraged for underdeveloped, because nobody needs a sheep sized mushroom for dinner. Another reason why it’s better small is the flesh, which turns yellowy-brown as it ages, as opposed to the pure white flesh of its early days. The giant puffball is also impressive because it is the source of a drug used to combat cancer!
The mushrooms found in our fields and forests are very cool. I have only mentioned three of at least 2,500 species found here. There are also different uses for these amazing organisms that I have not mentioned, very fun ones too. No matter the function of the shroom, I think we should try and see how many there are around us and how cool they are. Let us give these magical, funny looking growths the attention they deserve.
