Everything you need to know about the mushrooms of Provence
There are tens of thousands of them hiding in meadows and clearings, in coppices and woods of pine, oak, beech, cedar, birch, aspen and larch... Who? Mushrooms, those mysterious creatures that can be deliciously edible or dangerously appetising. To fully appreciate them, learn to be wary!
What are mushrooms?
The answer to this simple question, however, is not obvious. Since the 3rd century BC, fungi have been classified as plants, according to the old definition of Theophrastus - "Although they have no roots, stems, leaves or fruit, fungi belong to the plant world" - but today we prefer to classify them in the fungal kingdom, alongside the mineral, animal and plant kingdoms.
The evidence put forward by mycologists to affirm that fungi are not plants: their main sugar, trehalose, does not exist in plants and their membrane is composed of chitin, an amino polysaccharide that is the component of the carapace of insects and crustaceans.
Well-informed advice from mycologists: stick to the best-known species.
"Naturalist studying mushrooms in the hope of one day learning about them" is the humorous definition of a mycologist, a scientist specialising in systematics (because before you can work on mushrooms, you have to be able to identify them), molecular chemistry, genetics, ethnomycology or mycotoxicology who takes a serious look at our mushrooms.
Dr Lucien Giacomoni, a member of the Toxicology Commission of the Société Mycologique de France, warns consumers "against the excessive and dangerous consumption of certain mushrooms wrongly described as edible".
"The chemistry of fungi is very complicated. Some species produce dozens of metabolites, some of which are poorly understood and some of which are toxic, and can exceptionally cause serious organic responses, such as angioedema or collapse, a state of shock (drop in blood pressure) that can be fatal. Remember that mushrooms are not normal foodstuffs, but rather condiments.
So you have to be careful and stick to the tastiest and best-known species, such as truffles, ceps, chanterelles, delicious milk caps, Oréades marasmus or Tricholomes de la Saint George. "When you eat mushrooms, you hear violins singing in the sky", said André Theuriet.
Rules to follow when picking mushrooms in Provence
Basic theorem: anyone picking mushrooms for cooking should know by heart at least the deadly species that have already been identified.
Beware of "connoisseurs": 3 out of 4 intoxications are due to misidentification by a local connoisseur (Lucien Giacomoni knows of several dramatic stories, each resulting in around ten deaths).
Do not transport mushrooms in plastic bags (they decompose rapidly and produce cryptomaines, highly toxic products resulting from the decomposition of meat).
Don't leave any trace of your passage: don't make any holes! Mushrooms should be picked cleanly, and not with rakes, as some people do (to get what's hidden under the leaves and moss).
Don't destroy unfamiliar species on the pretext that they are not friendly.
Only harvest what you are going to eat or can very quickly: mushrooms do not keep well.
Discover the mushrooms of Provence
Read the essential guide “Champignons de Provence” by Didier Borgarino and Christian Hurtado, with Lucien Giacomoni supervising the "poisonous mushrooms" chapter (660 species described)
“Mycological discovery in the Luberon" stays, in a bed and breakfast in Cadenet
Mushroom days with the Aix association of mycology.
Making preserved mushrooms.
For one jar, you'll need the following ingredients: milk caps (delicious or blood), chanterelles or girolles, small porcini mushrooms (there are 4 varieties of edible mushrooms). White spirit vinegar for preserving, olive oil, 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme, 2 or 3 bay leaves, 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, black peppercorns.
Remove the stalks and rinse the mushrooms (except the porcini) with water, place them in a container with a lid and place the container on a low heat for about 10 minutes to drain the water from the mushrooms.
Drain the mushrooms in a colander and place in a glass jar with a lid and seal.
In a saucepan, heat the vinegar (1/4 l) with the oil (1/2 glass), thyme, bay leaves and pepper until it comes to the boil. Pour this hot mixture over the mushrooms, add more olive oil to cover them completely, add the garlic cloves and close the jar.
Leave it in a cupboard before opening it to enjoy ... a few months later.
Here are some recipe ideas borrowed from top chefs.
Fricassee of ceps with flat parsley juices (Guy Savoy, Paris), Spaghetti with mushrooms, foie gras and basil florets (Nadia and Antonio Santini, Dal Pescatore, Italy), Rack of roast pork from Argouat, mousserons, girolles and lentins, Noirmoutier beans and sorrel cream (Gérard Besson, Paris), Canned girolles in oil (Alain Llorca, La Colle sur Loup).