December 26, 2023
Mushroom Foraging in Estonia
Estonian corals, boletes, chantarelles, russulas, fairy rings and more!!!
Wild mushrooms in Malta are becoming a thing of the past. When I started taking interest in mushrooms, around 10 years ago the mushroom season was already very short, frequently limited from mid-October to mid-November. Today, I have the impression that the situation is worsening with some years not even having enough rain to induce mushroom production.
There are also other factors that affect the lack of mushrooms in Malta. The obvious lack of soil depth that in turn does not support enough vegetation, the soil type, soil PH, wind, and several other factors.
In addition to these, there is also a human element. Foreigners living in Malta who are used to foraging the wide European forests harvest the few oysters and boletes that manage to pin continuing to reduce the possibility for these organisms to thrive. So do Maltese in search for an easy occasional earning.
During a recent trip to Estonia, I have had the opportunity to not only observe but also forage and savor some of these forest delicacies that in such countries still grow abundantly. No time to identify the findings though.
