MUSHROOMS
The Altopiano del Sole is a land of forests and therefore also a land of mushrooms. Indeed, it is not uncommon to find many different species. This is especially the case during the main mushrooming season in the forest, usually towards the end of summer, or at any rate following the first rains and the consequent drop in summer temperatures. A traditional saying, strictly pronounced in dialect rhyme, goes, “La prima aiva de agost, la rinfresca el bosc,” or “The first water of August refreshes the forest”, to announce the arrival of the mushroom season.
It is with the cooling of the woods and the resulting moisture in the soil that the forests of the Altopiano area go wild with a riot of colors and scents, intoxicating the air with the classic smell of moss and undergrowth.
Mushrooms are a large group of living organisms. There are more than 100 thousand species, but only a few are edible (good to eat), others are toxic or poisonous. There are also mushrooms formed from a single cell such as yeasts and molds.
Even on the Altopiano del Sole it is not uncommon to find, in the peak of the mushroom season, Boletus edulis, better known as Porcini Mushroom. From a culinary and food point of view, porcini are one of the most esteemed species of mushrooms. There are countless recipes with porcini mushrooms and delicacies offered by the culinary and restaurant sector of the Altopiano del Sole.
The forest gives us excitement and taste, so it is most important to pay it respect and protect the ecosystem. During your hikes and walks take care and look after the plants, mushrooms and every being or specimen of flora and fauna encountered on your path.
Another aspect to keep in mind during your mushroom collecting activity is your safety: so try to avoid steep, sheer or dangerous areas. Your health is worth much more than a glimpse of porcini mushrooms.
Finally, do not pick mushrooms you don’t recognise: even in the forests of the Altopiano there are very dangerous mushrooms that, if ingested or eaten, could lead to intoxication or poisoning.
