Edible mushrooms from Ecuador
Introduction:
There are approximately 3.8 million species of fungi globally, of which 120,000 have been identified. In Ecuador, according to Fungi Ecuador, and several there are records of 7,300 specimens introduced into home and gourmet cuisine due to their flavor, texture, and color.
The biologist and owner of Fungus Garden, Ricardo Viteri, works with 25 varieties identified for gastronomic use. The best known in Ecuador is the common mushroom; however, other varieties can be used, such as the pink, white, and blue oyster mushroom, shitake, cardoncello, and shimeji. The king mushroom, lion's mane, enoki, portobello, etc.
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
Viteri considers it important to emphasize that before assuming that a wild mushroom is edible, safety and identification regulations must be followed. In addition, some can generate negative reactions in the body or allergies.
Another variety that can be harvested for consumption is the 'pig ears' (Auricularia fuscosuccinea) and the 'chinchilla' (favolus brasiliensis), a grayish-white fungus ideal for recipes.
Other species of edible white mushrooms are known as callampas. In this group are the Lentinus and Pleurotus. The pine fungus (Suillus luteus) is also the black species that grows next to this plant.
Each one has a different flavor and texture, like the pink oyster mushroom that tastes like shellfish and has a slightly tougher 'meat.' The variety of mushrooms is softer and more gelatinous. However, it will always depend on how they are prepared.
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
For example, Lola MartÃnez makes stir-fries, pork rinds, garlic mushrooms, etc. She recommends that the cooking time be no longer than five minutes because they shrink or dry out too much.
The use of salt and white onion is its only companion in preparations to preserve their natural flavor and not be overshadowed by many spices or condiments.
On the other hand, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito chef, Esteban Tapia, suggests two simple recipes to introduce mushrooms into typical gastronomy.
One of them is a pink oyster mushroom fettuccine with shrimp. The dish is prepared with olive oil, tomato sauce, heavy cream, basil leaves, salt, and pepper to taste. Use oyster mushrooms because they add a seafood flavor.
The other option is a white mushroom pickle. Here onion, garlic, carrot, oregano, vinegar, salt, pepper, and basil leaves are placed in oil, and, at low temperature, it is left to cook for an hour. This method of preservation in vinegar is a dressing that can be spread on bread, toast, cookies, among others.
To grow these mushrooms at home, you should advise there are even kits that allow you to do so. "In this come the indications for optimal development of the edible species, "concludes Viteri. These options exist in the market, between USD 10 and 100. The most expensive packages include culinary workshops.
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
In most European countries, it is very common to find people living around forest areas, walking with a basket through the woods searching for edible mushrooms. It is such a popular activity that each country has its own rules and regulations so that "mushroom hunters" know for sure what type of mushrooms are edible, how to differentiate them, and when it is best to collect them. However, in other countries such as Ecuador, there is no authentic culture of collecting edible mushrooms, not because of a lack of availability of wild edible mushrooms, but because the population does not know of their existence. For this reason, in this article, I am going to teach you how to recognize and where to find a fungus, which is delicious and very nutritious, is quite common in some forests or parforest ches of our country.
Suillus luteus, better known as "El Boletal Granulado," is a pine mycorrhiza; it has a mutualistic symbiotic relationship (both species benefit from the interaction) with the roots of pine plants. This means that fungi will always grow near pine trees because they cannot live unless their mycelium is connected to the roots of these trees, which helps us a lot to segment their location.
Now that we know where to look for them, we need to know how to recognize them. Suillus luteus is a fleshy mushroom made up of a foot and a cap. When the fungus is young, the cap is convex in shape. Later it is more or less flattened, and the foot is central and cylindrical. The hymenium is composed of small yellow pores. It is usually brown to yellowish-brown, or more typically ochraceous in color. In addition, it has a quite thick cuticle that covers the cap, and it is shiny and easily detachable from the meat.
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
It is recommended to harvest them from the base of the foot. Still, it is essential to remember that before consuming them, they must be washed with plenty of water and, above all, remove the sticky cuticle since it is considered a strong laxative. Both the foot and the hat have a soft and juicy texture, so we recommend that before adding any seasoning, cut them into small pieces and fry them for a few minutes in a pan with oil or butter until they are free—a sufficient amount of water. Once the excess water is removed, seasonings such as garlic, onion, and salt can be added.
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| Ecuadorian Gastronomy Mushroom |
We hope you enjoy this knowledge, and the next time you're in a pine forest, look back down to the ground for these delicious mushrooms, but we have a WARNING. Just as there are edible mushrooms, there are also toxic mushrooms that can harm us. Therefore, our recommendation is: Do not consume wild mushrooms unless you are sure of their identity or you are accompanied by a mushroom professional, a mycologist who can help you with their correct identification.
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