Once mushroom was abundantly available in wild and ethnic people use it as vegetable and culinary purpose. Recent days we find limited availability in wild. And people are not habituated to consume as it may have toxicity. how one can identify edible and toxic mushroom varieties.
Not all wild mushrooms are edible. Poisonous and edible mushrooms usually can be identified from the texture of their caps, the color of spores, and the presence or absence of an annulus on the stipe. Poisonous mushrooms usually have a scaly texture on the surface of their caps, the color of spores has green and black spores but sometimes not always like that, and presence of an annulus on the stipe
Miss Astriana Bhakti Utami Many thanks for your insightful answer. main features note about poisonous mushrooms are caps will be scaly, spores are green or black sometimes and annulus on the stipe.
Generalisations like those given by Astriana Bhakti Utami are dangerous. There can be good edible, worthless, and poisonous species with and without each of the traits mentioned. The only way to know whether or not a fungus is edible is to identify it properly, consult the literature and get confirmation from an expert if not confident yourself. If in doubt do not eat. Remember - All fungi can be eaten, but some only once!
There is a true story of a well known author, Nicholas Evans - The Horse Whisperer - who was camping with several friends in Scotland in 2008. Somebody collected some fungi, thought to be Chanterelles; they were not! They were Cortinarius speciosissimus, which caused kidney failure' in all members of the group. They all had to undergo kidney dialysis, and he had a kidney transplant three years later.
100% agree with Michael Richardson. I can think of several deadly poisonous fungi that don't fit those criteria. Amanita phalloides has a smooth cap and white spores and is responsible for serious poisonings every year. There are no short cuts to identifying toxic fungi. Studying them in depth, eg using a good field guide for your area is a great way to start. Spending time with mushroom experts in the field, eg with a local mushroom club is even better.
the topic of edible and poisonous wild mushroom is complex . It is not like wearing a clothes (all size). There are many variables involved. the condition of the mushroom you picked, how to treat it, how you cook it, the state of your health etc. etc. In addition, Morphological plasticity in mushroom is a matter.
"Is wild mushroom edible? " Yes and No
"How anyone can identify edible mushroom?" If you are beginner, lets start with expert opinion, or the local people that consumed a particular mushroom for years, but put in mind that the opinion from someone so called "the expert" or "the local people" might be is not always correct "every time". Or you might find the book for edible mushroom in a particular region, but yeah you need to identify it properly, you are responsible for the decision you made. Also the are many myths in edible and poisonous mushroom things, sometimes it is true but not fit for all.
for ex: the bright colored mushrooms are poisonous , mushroom with ring is safe/poisonous, if insect eat mushroom so it safe for us, etc. etc.
I agree with our friends "identify it properly" is a must, and yeah you can start with a local mushroom club, I think the are many in online forums and join a mushroom forage is even better.
for example regarding miss identification of edible mushroom in my country:
Last year, someone got poisoned, he was miss identified Omphalotus nidiformis as an edible Pleurotus while on hiking
Article The ghost fungus Omphalotus nidiformis (Berk.), new to Indon...
Thank you
Safe and Happy Hunting
Mr Ivan Permana Putra many many thanks for your valuable answer. Experience is the principle criterion for identifying wild edible mushroom. In my country some ethnic people living hill districts have substantial knowledge on identifying edible fruitbody. But now a days in nature it is not abundant.
Mr Sigrid Jakob many thanks for your answer and support. It's really critical task. best policy is to avoid by novice collectors.
It is not recommended to consume wild mushrooms and there are not any key features that can distinguish an edible from the poisonous look alike. It may cost a life.
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