Important note: The information given on this site applies to Finland and Finnish mushrooms only.
Finland is mushroom picker's paradise, yet only a fraction of the hundreds of edible wild mushroom species growing throughout the vast Finnish forests is picked for consumption.
Most Finns have traditionally thought all mushrooms to be "food fit only for cows", except those living in eastern Finland, near the border to Russia,
where mushrooms have been a valued delicacy for centuries.
Fortunately more and more Finns are starting to appreciate mushrooms and the various delicious dishes prepared with them. Used on their own or mixed with cultivated mushrooms, wild mushrooms are an indispensable ingredient in the Nordic cuisine.
In picture on right: a nice amount of brittlegill and boletus mushrooms picked during an evening walk in the nearby forest, a couple of minutes away from our city apartment's doorstep.
Even in the capital cities of the Nordic countries, clean, unspoiled nature is easily and freely accessible — one of the many benefits of living in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Iceland.
See also:
Collecting and handling mushrooms
The Finnish mushroom season extends roughly from early May to late November. Most of the best edible mushrooms are collected from late summer to early autumn.
Mushrooms mainly grow in forests, but they can also be found in gardens, parks and roadsides or on fields, pastures and lawns.
But since many mushrooms absorb heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, etc) and can store radioactive elements, they should not be collected near heavily trafficked roads, highways, freeways/motorways, industrial areas, city centres or other polluted areas.
A distance safe for picking mushrooms is a minimum of 25 metres from lightly trafficked roads and a minimum of 50 metres from heavily trafficked roads (motorways).
It is best to pick mushrooms when the weather is fair and dry. Only pick mushrooms that you can definitely identify as edible and preferably detach them whole from the ground. There are no easily recognizable differences between non-poisonous and poisonous mushrooms.
In unclear cases, it is advisable to contact a qualified mushroom specialist or organization for help in identifying the mushroom in question. Producing a whole, intact mushroom makes identification easier.
Clean the mushrooms from dirt, debris and/or maggots straight away on the collecting spot and place them in a large, airy basket.
Preferably keep the different species apart.
All mushrooms should be processed as soon as possible after they have been picked. They start deteriorating very rapidly. Always follow the specific processing instructions given to each mushroom species in question to avoid poisonings. It is safest never to eat mushrooms raw, not even the cultivated varieties.
Mushroom nutrition
Mushrooms are light and nutritious food. They are rich in essential minerals, proteins, vitamins and fibre and low in fat. On the average, mushrooms contain more minerals than certain vegetables, most importantly potassium, phosphorus, zinc, selenium and copper.
Similarly to fish, mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin D, especially the chanterelles and funnel chanterelles. Mushrooms also contain vitamins A and B.
Certain mushrooms contain a natural sugar trehalose, which is converted into glucose in the digestive system with the help of the enzyme trehalase. Some individuals lack this enzyme and suffer from trehalose intolerance. After consuming mushrooms, they may develop abdominal symptoms similar to those caused by lactose intolerance.
Finnish mushrooms containing the highest amount of trehalose are penny-bun (Boletus edulis), chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), gypsy mushroom (Rozites caperatus), terracotta hedgehog (Hydnum rufescens) and wood hedgehog (Hydnum repandum).
Poisonous mushrooms and their identification
Some wild mushrooms are toxic, even lethal if consumed, so great care has to be taken to know which ones to eat.
The best way to start learning to identify wild mushrooms is to go and pick them with a mushroom expert as a guide.
The traditional way for Finnish small children to identify mushrooms is to go picking them with their parents and grandparents, learning from them as they go along.
However, as the latest scientific studies and more developed research methods may reveal new, previously unknown facts about mushrooms and their safety, the old, traditional knowledge should be checked and brought up to date from time to time.
In Finland, there are several mycological societies operating throughout the country providing information about mushrooms and organizing field trips to collect them, on which one can learn to identify some of the most important species.
Some also offer free events for identifying mushrooms collected and brought in by the public.
Some edible and toxic mushrooms may easily be confused with one another.
Whenever a mushroom cannot be identified with an absolute certainty, it must not be used for consumption. It is best to learn to identify only three to four most commonly consumed wild mushroom species and concentrate in collecting those solely.
It should also be noted that some mushrooms that are slightly toxic, or even lethal when raw, may still be safely consumed if processed following the specific instructions given to the species in question, resulting in removing or reducing their harmful substances or toxins.
Some toxins in mushrooms are cumulative, so
they may not cause any symptoms right away, but after years of continuous consumption. Other toxins can also cause poisoning if consumed together with alcohol.
As freshly picked mushrooms start deteriorating very rapidly, large amount of mushroom poisonings are also caused by people having eaten safely edible, but spoiled mushrooms.
People react differently to mushroom toxins, some being more sensitive to them than others, having allergic reactions or more pronounced symptoms. These kinds of persons, as well as children and pregnant women, should be especially careful when consuming wild mushrooms or avoid eating them altogether.
Toxicity of a certain mushroom species, or the way the toxin affects people, may vary in different parts of the world, so you should always follow the most up-to-date national food safety guidelines of your own country, instead of adapting instructions for picking or cooking wild mushrooms followed in some other country, even if they are for the same species.
Keep track of the most recent mushroom research and studies issued by scientists and mycologists and the guidelines for consuming or processing mushrooms released by your local food safety authorities, as they may provide vital new information about certain mushrooms and their safety. For example, some mushrooms previously thought to be safely edible, have been discovered to contain harmful, even toxic substances (eg the brown rollrim, Paxillus involutus, which contains cumulative toxins), and some traditional processing methods found to be ineffective in removing toxic substances from mushrooms (like the process of drying false morels, which was previously believed to remove or reduce their toxin to a safe level).
See a list for some poisonous Finnish mushrooms.
Cultivated shiitake mushrooms
There are about 50 to 60 species of toxic wild mushrooms growing in Finland, a few of which may cause death if consumed.
The poisonous substances in toxic mushrooms are divided in three main categories:
Symptoms for mushroom poisoning may occur right after consuming the mushroom, or they may appear several hours later, sometimes even several days later.