Marvelous Mexican Mycophagy (Mmm delicioso!)
by Ron Spinosa

R. Gordon Wasson, the father of ethnomycology coined the terms “mycophobic” and “mycophilic” to separate cultures according to their attitudes toward mushrooms. Until recently American culture has fallen squarely into the camp of the Mycophobes. Organizations such as MMS and NAMA have been important in bringing about a shift in appreciation of mushrooms, and more people are eating wild mushrooms—but ask the average person on the street about eating a wild mushroom, and they will react with horror.

Europeans, and especially Russians, are more savvy and enthusiastic, when it comes to foraying and picking mushrooms for the table. The people who, at least in my research and readings, are by far most mycophilic are the indigenous people of Mexico.

My connection with Mexican mycophagy came through my daughter, Leah, who lived in Mexico for 7 years. She introduced me to cuitlacoche, Ustiligo maydis, which is familiar to us Midwesterners as “corn smut”, but is considered a delicacy in Mexico. MMS members who have attended the annual fall potluck in recent years have had an opportunity to sample cuictlacoche in some dishes prepared for that occasion. In our last newsletter Steve Netzman gave us a great recipe for cuitlacoche soup, which I am looking forward to trying soon. (Canned cuitlacoche may be obtained at most Latin markets e.g., El Burrito Mercado in West St. Paul, and it retains its unique flavor nicely.)

On one of my visits to Mexico, I had the good fortune of meeting my daughter’s sister-in-law, Fabiola Reygadas, who is a Forest Management Researcher with the Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales, Agricolas y Pecuarias in Quintana Roo, Mexico. I learned that in 1995 she had done an ethnomycological study of the Ajusco and Topilejo communities near Mexico City. She reported that the incredible number of 52 different species of mushrooms are collected in the wild and eaten with great relish by these peoples. In addition to her scientific survey of edible mushrooms, she gathered together many of the recipes used by the local people and published them in a booklet sponsored by the Mexican Federal Government (Como Cocinar los Hongos Silvestres).

I would first like to make a few comments about the mushroom species these Mexican peoples used for cooking and then contribute some recipes from Fabiola’s recipe book. Many of the species they eat are familiar to us, for example Morels (Common names translate as little corncob, beehive and little blackberry); Lobster mushroom= red snout and red ear; Chanterelles= little peach; some Suillis species= little belly; and even some Amanitas (A. caesarea=little egg yoke, gourd, A. fulva= little hump, little deer, A. rubescens= butter). But there were some surprises! I have never heard of anyone eating any species of Hebeloma. The Hebeloma that we find most often, Hebeloma crustuliniformes, has the common name “poison pie” and is lumped with the LBM’s to be avoided. The Mexicans enjoy eating a weird looking Hebeloma fastible, with a cap actually shaped like a sombrero. They call it “Ocote= pine tree“. Some others species that we would pass up for the table are Helvella lacunose = Spaniard, little black thing, rabbit ear, black mouse ear, dried chile pepper), Russula brevipes, and even Tylopilus felleus.

The recipes I selected to include here use two species of mushroom that are common in Minnesota and can be found in large numbers, but which no one I know eats. They are Laccaria laccata and Rusula breveipes. L. laccata has common names in Mexico, which translate as: little apple or apple mushroom. Russula brevipes goes by a number of common names: little snout, pig snout, white ear, white sheep, and white cup. If any readers are feeling adventurous, try these recipes and let us know how you like them. Be sure to clean the R. brevipes thoroughly, since the caps pushing up through the duff are invariably covered with debris.

Ron Spinosa
ronspin@juno.com

Recipes:

Laccaria laccata ala Mexicana

Trompitas in red chile sauce- (Russula brevipes)

Recipes translated and adapted by Leah Spinosa de Vega.