Mushroom Country

It was probably the most timeless period of my life—the first year of Corona, 2020. A newborn baby at home, parental leave, and secluded life in a forest area outside Gothenburg—with friends visiting who were also on parental leave. A wonderful, surreal mix of emotions, blended like for so many with a dose of uncertainty and worry. And into that came the realization that I had overlooked something completely ordinary and obvious, yet absolutely magnificent in my life—because it seemed too complex, too dangerous, etc.: mushroom picking.

It’s a bit strange that an old friend from my own homeland, the Eifel, had to come all the way to Sweden to ask me if I was a mushroom picker. Anyway, he could definitely show me how it’s done.

Two solid porcini just before harvest. Spotting the coveted find always gives a thrill.

Since then, my life as a forest walker has fundamentally changed, has gained a completely new perspective. During the summer and autumn months, my gaze is now directed at the ground. Focused conversations are hardly possible anymore. Good thing my wife feels the same way. We’re in hunting mode, and it’s addictive. When you find something, suddenly spot a porcini cap on the forest floor, run your fingers and thumb along the stem into the deep damp moss and feel the crisp tension of the stem and then twist the mushroom out, it’s a sensory experience that triggers euphoria. I never would have thought that mushroom hunting could be such a thrill.

Four eyes see more than two.

The beautiful thing about activities that only promise success occasionally, unpredictably, and only in lucky moments—like fishing, watching football (goals for your own team don’t happen every 5 minutes), or mushroom hunting—is that the reward hormone dopamine hits all the harder and the feeling of happiness is correspondingly strong. Even the most addictive social media app can’t achieve that.

Bohuslän and especially the forests toward Dalsland are definitely real mushroom areas, and anyone who’s in the area in summer or autumn and experiences a bit of humid-warm weather has to try it. Whether you have some experience or not: it’s a wonderful activity with an incredibly low barrier to entry—no equipment needed whatsoever, and any forest area can potentially offer really good spots. And with a bit of luck, you’ll find chanterelles in just a few minutes that are easily enough for two meals. Under the right conditions, and if you roughly know where to look, it’s more the rule than the exception. In summer, we always have plenty of mushrooms.

A batch of porcini and chanterelles - ready for the pan

If you want to get started with this activity and don’t have a mushroom-hunting background, the common recommendation is to focus on just a very small selection of mushroom species at first. The classic is perhaps the combination of porcini and chanterelle. Both easy to learn, and both excellent pan mushrooms. Up here, the trumpet chanterelle (trattkantarell) is also added—an excellent edible mushroom and especially found in autumn when it’s already getting more difficult with the other mentioned species.

I myself am far from being a passionate mushroom collector who can confidently identify dozens of species. But here are some tips I can give.

Plenty of rain followed by warm, sunny days is ideal
Pine forests are poor
Light spruce forests are good. Especially damper corners, such as depressions in the terrain, preferably mossy. Some sunlight is important; it shouldn’t be too shady
Chanterelles love, for whatever reason, structures around paths. They like to grow in the embankments
Porcini often grow in association with fly agaric
Trumpet chanterelles can appear in masses in October and November. In my experience, mainly in spruce forests, and here preferably in damper corners.

Not an extraordinary amount when you catch good conditions and roughly know where to look.

To get the crispest result possible, it's recommended to fry the mushrooms for a while without butter first. Only add it when the water has completely evaporated from the mushrooms.