Also referred to as “wild mushrooms” however that description brings about a completely different association in British vocab. So let’s clarify, we are talking here about a choice of edible mushroom species which can be found in forests, woodlands and fields. They don’t produce any hallucinogenic effects and just like farmed mushrooms can be used in all sorts of recipes either as one of the main ingredients or as a spice adding a very distinctive flavour which is one of many very Polish Taste characteristics.
Of course, it is not fully exclusive to Poland. Italian porcinis and French truffles are still fully recognized worldwide. Most traditional and regional cuisines had at some point a component of mushrooms directly picked from nature. The trouble is that once the natural reserves shrank the edible fungi became less available and lost their stance in the culinary landscape of the area. Unfortunately, in Britain, that ingredient is long forgotten.
In Poland though, it is still very popular and widely available, almost an everyday element of our cooking. There is a country-wide network of local businesses which buys wild, forest mushrooms from local pickers and put them on the market in either fresh, dried, pickled or frozen form. Important information – these are professional businesses which employ certified expert assessors. Each of them has to pass a state-standardized rigorous test of knowledge which mushrooms are edible and do not pose a health hazard to consumers. That way Poland still produces and exports thousands of tons of forest mushrooms. Big chances are that if you buy dried porcinis or any product flavoured with them, the actual mushroom it contains is a humble Polish “Borowik” (pictured above) which was used by Italian or French brands.