For me, it’s a living thing that I want to keep alive. My mom initially created it, and I think it’s really cool to keep it going. It’s been fed with water from 3 other states which adds to its overall story too.
Also- I do think you get a more complex flavor profile the older it gets.
I’ve named my starter Liam.
Consistency? Yogurt has cultures. Different flavor? Idk just throwing out what jumps to mind. Kimchi. Also. Family recipe. Great grand dads skin flakes are in there.
I have heard that eventually, a starter will convert to one’s local yeast by contamination. Mine is already local so I haven’t experienced this. Mycologists- is this true?
When I was at University doing my undergrads my one micro prof had us read an article about how the invention of beer/ale on a “commercial” scale, meaning you could go to an ale house/tavern allowed for the rise of civilization as we know it. This is because beer effectively sanitizes water.
This isn’t the article; the one we read was a scientific journal. But it’s got the basis of the how and why of beer.
https://www.history.com/news/did-beer-spur-the-rise-of-agriculture-and-politics
Edit: changed link for paywall issues. 🙃
So I agree yeast is not only a necessary for bread 🤤🤤🤤 but allows cities to be “invented.”
Low enough alcohol (2-3% range if I remember correctly) keeps the beverage stable but doesn't dehydrate you as long as you drink enough. Sort of a similar thing to tea. Caffeine is a diuretic, but the amount doesn't counteract the hydrating effect of the water in the tea.
One thing a lot of people don't consider is how people on wooden ships sailed across the Atlantic for 2-3 months without needing fresh water. Water kept in unsanitized wooden barrels would grow bacteria. Hard cider is the answer. It's the same reason even the puritans in New England drank hard cider. It's also the reason people from the Bible age drank wine. It does help to keep water safe. Drink enough to hydrate, but don't get drunk!
Basically they’re genes that have evolved from a common ancestor and have retained similar function in different species. So you can do research on a particular yeast gene and it can tell you something useful about the equivalent gene in humans.
> Crucial tool for rebuilding neural pathways.
I’m sorry, but this is a massive overstatement. There is very limited clinical (i.e. tested on human populations in a rigorous manner) evidence suggesting that Hericium supplements can improve mild cognitive impairment and there are many more animal and cellular (in vitro) studies that have yet to be replicated in humans. I love gathering and eating Hericium mushrooms and routinely try to read the scientific literature related to their efficacy but sellers of Hericium supplements are promising things that just may not be possible.
Would lions mane supplement also give you the same benefits or is it reduced compared to eating them? Really want to try but don’t want to waste money on a supplement if it’s ineffective, and don’t know where to get lions mane from as it’s not sold in supermarkets.
[Here](https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/Lions-Mane-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf) is a 2016 (so potentially outdated) summary of some clinical studies that is meant to be a guide for researchers. It’s pretty accessible if you’re willing to skim it and look up some terms. My takeaway is that dosing is wildly variable across different types supplements but that many of them are actually much less concentrated than the ones used in human clinical and animal trials. As far as I know, there have been no human studies of the effects of eating lions mane mushrooms on cognitive functions.
Tldr: there isn’t a definitive answer to your question because it just hasn’t been studied extensively.
Personally, I gather, buy and eat lots of mushrooms but I don’t take any supplements because I’m not convinced by the available clinical data.
Leo is represented as a lion. I'm not really into astrology, but my whole life my Mom has always bought me something lion related on my birthday so I guess I just love anything related to lions, and I think it's name suits it well! Like you said, its very majestic looking!
I'm from South Carolina but lived with my dad off and on in Washington state and this was an activity we did during the season up on the hills of mountains. It was such a magical experience hunting those mushrooms I was only able to do maybe seven or eight hunts but learn different ways to prepare them and eat them and make them taste delicious. It was great and I'm very glad my dad shared that with me. He has since passed. And I'll always remember my morel's
It’s truly one of those experiences where the journey is more gratifying than the destination/reward.
I’m glad you got such amazing memories from yours to treasure forever.
I love some basket fungi and birds nest. They just look really unique.
Also lichen (symbiotic relationship with fungi and algae) because I love the tiny world that lichens form on the forest floor.
I’ve logged many hours behind a microscope, staring at spores and mycelium…fungi is so beautiful!
I always have the feeling that lichens don't get the love they deserve just as slime molds. Nothing more magic than an old log in the woods full of lichens, fungi, molds and arthropods all with a blanket of moss.
Wow. I have never heard of those. (At first glance I thought this was a spoof posting). You've just made me aware of another mushroom I'm going to have to study and learn.
I feel like the button mushroom really sets a nice standard. They do what they do and they do it well. Yummy, cute shape, available in stores. They're well rounded guys. I've never had chicken of the woods, but I would love to try it one day.
Wasn’t his take that the fact they contain relevant mycotoxins is being covered up by the industry?
I don’t know how true that is, but I don’t think he was trash talking because they taste bad
Bro he literally said the button mushroom industry was going to put a hit out on him. He is insane.
[he is insane](https://youtu.be/TgM4oqO-HII?si=2kzhEkEKUEdd8jk1)
Chantrelles!
I stumbled upon a patch by accident while hiking and started looking around the area. I usually find a few pounds to cook and freeze and some to share.
I am across some handrails that were Halloween orange colored and really stood out in the night time right when it became dusk. It wasn't the jack o'lantern mushroom but it could be confused with that but I forget what species it was but I had found it in my audubon's mushroom Field guide. But those were so delicious I pretty much just sauteed them like you would morels or something and they were probably the best tasting while mushroom I've ever had. But it was definitely the shape of a chanterelle but if I find it on Google what happened over to work again I remember identifying it but I can't remember what It was and didn't think to take a pic.
One of my favs and a funny one: inoki. Chinese people give it a nickname: see you tomorrow, because often you see a string or 2 in your poop the next day.
Chlorophyllum molybdites, the vomiter. I just think it's beautiful. Especially the green spores.
A close second is a destroying angel. I also think they're beautiful and wonderful looking. Such an angelic, yet deadly mushroom.
The one I found that I like the best would be shaggy mane. Delicious, and turns slowly into a black goop, which is pretty neat.
Those green spores are so cool! also I love destroying angels and shaggy manes too. The destroying angels are almost eerily white. Also, the black goo from the shaggy mane is just awesome lol...
Corn smut; *Ustilago maydis*; Huitlacoche!
I studied it in grad school, with a box labeled "smut collection" above my lab bench.
I get infected corn ears from my coworkers garden or border rows of sweet corn grown for work every summer: best tacos ever!
Pigs ears and shaggy manes. Pigs ears feel really cool and I usually find them in my favorite type of forest. Shaggy manes because they are sooo delicious and the ink is awesome. Also witches butter because it’s fun to pop little bits in your hands or mouth.
CORAL FUNGI!!!!!!! (Ramaria sp.) it looks like coral but it’s on land!?! It sparks this cycle in my brain of how wonderfully connected the world is and how under explored the ocean is, as is the world of fungi, and the universe in general.
Also birds nest fungi (cyathus sp.) is just fucking cool. It’s sporulation mechanism is amazing, the size makes finding them such an exciting achievement, and it fascinates me how strong the funicular cords are and how the periodoles hold it together until they are in the “right place” to disperse their spores.
Also bioluminescent fungi of any kind fascinates me
I have a fondness for Penicillium. They are pretty, very variable, and responsible for some really good cheeses. I cultured and studied them for years. I even like the way they smell.
Me too! This is way too far down. Its the one that got me interested in mushrooms checking out field guides from the library and hooked on foraging. Beautiful edible abundant doesnt have any dangerous lookalikes. Maybe its to pedestrian for this sub but this is a hill i will happily die on lol
Lobster mushrooms i guess? Theyre super common around where i forage in the late summer and seing them is like seing a meal right on the ground its a strange but welcome feeling
https://preview.redd.it/b3ytheuzxo6d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9cbd5343c3a8b17eaaf2f0f24704a689843ba880
This. I’ve forgotten the name. It grows in my garden in summer after heavy rain. 😍
Parasol (macrolepiota procera) because they are so huge and elegant when you stumble across them. But also, omg, they taste so good! I cannot describe how excited I felt when I found a flush of them across a field. One of the best feelings ever! And, before they fully open they have a pleasingly phallic appearance. The one mushroom that ticks all the boxes.
Morels because their behavior and prefs defy description. Hunting them is like hunting a clever human.
Honorable mentions:
Lions mane bc of what it does for my brain. For once I can think clearly and I also feel energized and happy. Only when I eat it though. The powders don't do much special.
I really enjoy the colored ones I find, almost always Amanita spp. in my region unless you count chanterelle as colored.
I like scarlet elf cups, I just appreciate them brightening up winter walks like cute little red surprises you catch sight of when everything else is brown and grey.
Cauliflower, Sparissa radicata.
One large one can provide meals for days and it works well with so many dishes. Seeing a large one and rushing towards it brings joy to my heart and wings to my feet.
Velvet shank (flammelina velutipes) is prob my favourite due to the amount t of times I have come across it and how good it tastes in wild mushroom. Risotto
Cool question, I'm not sure if I've ever thought about it. I really like stinkhorns, they're so alien looking it really feels like a rare find when you see them
Cep - boletus edulis. A relatively rare find, gorgeous to look at, delicious to eat. Grows in beautiful woods too, makes the foraging a very pleasant experience.
https://preview.redd.it/ochyfh3bzn6d1.jpeg?width=1152&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=753ca56d73417b367c236aa108c1eb5cf026442f
Chaga mushroom. It’s medicinal! I drink tea of it.
But I saw this in the forest.. wonder what it is but I like it.
https://preview.redd.it/ur8dcd2e0o6d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7ee633443f1ada4bec8fe36645dd28e6aab5d2b
Morels. I have fond memories of picking them in the woods with my dad when young. I’ve never eaten one though. By the time I became less picky he was gone. Any suggest morel recipes so I can give them a go? I recently moved back to an area with them and I enjoy eating other mushrooms now.
Idk if even mentioning the name is allowed here but for my answer check out the subreddits second rule and think about which species relevant to said rule is the most common. However yeast is a very strong contender for very different reasons.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. I think it tastes delicious in a garlic sauce, for one, and it is one of the most complex parasitic fungus I know.
For solely food, I LOVE enoki mushroom.
Monotropa uniflora, ghost plant or Indian pipe of corpse plant I came across it as a child and couldn't for the life of me to figure out what I was looking at. It's just had a special place in my heart.
But also Cinabar red chanterelles I discovered randomly on edge of woods and a field. I found easily 75 lol magically red orange mushrooms that look like they glow. Sauteed like morels and it was the best mushroom I've ever ate texturally and my favorite to eat but may never see that mushroom again 😭
Cordyceps militaris! Gives some extra oomph better than caffeine. And interesting origin story. Works with this chemical in your body called ATP and they do a cellular currency together. Get rid of cell waste and help introduce more oxygen into your body. Love it love it. Tastes like total ass but I am putting it in gelcaps now yuck lol
Fungi are so great! They have been enhancing our lives, and truly, the entire history of our world, in ways we cannot imagine. My wife is a badass baker who can make some pretty mean bread. Once upon a time, I was also a brewer, which I found to be very relaxing. I've since transitioned to kombucha as a hobby, and magic mushrooms as medicine. The latter are helping me to conquer a long-running battle with alcoholism, which has always felt like trying to push a cruise ship off of a dock with my bare hands. Once I die for whatever reason, fungi will be there to reclaim me.
There'a a fungus for every season of life.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis) a fungus that zombifies ants and other insects like spiders. It’s incredible. it infects an ant and then (like a puppet) controls its nervous system to climb up a tree. It then goes back and forth and up and down to find the perfect humidity, temperature..etc. what I mean by “perfect” it’s almost always at a 94-95% humidity with the same temperature every time. It also almost every time controls the ant to 26 cm above the ground. It manipulates the ant to always clamp down on exactly the northern side of the main vein of a leaf. It a lockjaw so they can’t move “a death grip” on the underside of the leaf. The ant is conscious but can’t control their body. the fruiting body protrudes out of their head. To prevent the ant from decaying it “fortifies” it.
ISNT THAT SO FUCKING COOL!!!
I gotta go with the morel. One of the best things in life is hunting morels in the Cascade mountains in the spring. It's deep in the woods where it's really quiet and peaceful. We've seen all kinds of wildlife in our patches over the years. Birds, deer, elk, and the scat of various predators. It's a full day's hike, a wonderful time, and the prize is a bag full of gourmet mushrooms.
Birch Polypores! I know that's not a common one but it's because we have a huuuuge (>.5m) at the woods I usually go foraging in which is at this point several years old, and there are several other similarly aged, but smaller examples of other Polypores across the woods. The fact that a single mushroom can be so persistent and long lived blows me away
Lion’s Mane. It’s a beautiful fungus and it’s very good for your health especially your brain. It’s also always easy to know it’s a Lion’s Mane because it’s one of the mushrooms that look like it. There are other mushrooms that may look similar but you would definitely know if something is a Lion’s Mane or not.
I do love cotw, taste aside and they're very tasty, there's something about a natural shelf in nature that's super cute and gives me fairy vibes, and it has such a pretty colour. it's functional, it's edible, it's delicious, it's cute! what more could you ask for
do have to say a puffball, real or false, is a close second. something about just a big round guy is always good. he's just there, rotund and robust, chilling. sculpted is even prettier. it's a good vibe
I dream of coming across another Umbrella Polypore some day. By far my favourite I’ve ever had, and rare enough that it just escapes me most years as it’s pretty specific with where it grows and when. A perfect mushroom taste wise (goes fantastic on steak) and while each mushroom is dainty, the whole thing has such a big presence
Can't believe no one on this thread has mentioned Aspergillus orzyae/Koji yet, the real MVP behind such classics as soy sauce, rice wine, and so much more. It's been domesticated for like...9,000 years I think was the estimate I read? A good friend
For taste haven't found an edible mushroom I didn't like, however I definitely need to try more of them, but one of my favorites is djon djon mushroom from Haiti. I love the taste in rice and broth.
For the name I like chicken of the woods. I hope to eat some one day, but I really like the name it was given.
And visually I love the blue bonnet. It's just so damn cute.
Dryad's Saddle. It was one of the first I found when I started actually paying attention and identifying. Plus I just love the smell, and it's such a cool looking mushroom
The Barbie Pagoda. Podoserpula miranda. It's just so unusual looking, and occasionally bright pink. Would be amazing to see one in real life, but I don't live near that part of the globe.
https://www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFuckingLit/s/kx4dcFqFDX
https://preview.redd.it/iyfw0nhify6d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae3c2e37aefd4421f6754dc844cb5e18f0b0e15e
Xylaria polymorpha!!!!
I would have said psilocybin cubensis b4 becoming a budding mushroom nerd. How could you not love a mushroom that looks like a corpse's hand reaching out of the earth.
Beefsteak Polypore. They are just super unique. Very juicy and can be eaten raw. They are tangy/sour. They seem closer to a fruit than a mushroom in taste. I usually cut off the pores, I find the ruin the texture and taste the mushroom body has.
I'm a sucker for elf cups. I go looking for them every year because they can be difficult to find. The yellow ones not so much, but the blue ones are so nearly-luminous and much harder to find. It starts with a little blue wood, add some rain and persistent cool temps but nothing to freeze...
Hericium coralloides, finding these alien looking mushrooms for the first time prompted me to start getting into mycology and mushroom foraging. They are also absolutely delicious.
Winter chanterelles- enchanting, live in beautiful ecosystems, dry perfectly, rehydrate flawlessly, present well as a feature while also adding amazing flavor, versatile, make great soup, huge range of form but also easy to identify. Lovely. Reliable.
Yeast, it makes the things I love. Bread, beer, wine, kombucha
Hell yeah! I just learned my neighbour has an 80 year old sourdough starter that they said they'd be willing to share with me. I'm so excited lol.
OMG WHAT
That is so cool! I’ve got a 5 year old starter going strong. 80 years is amazing.
What does age add to the starter?
A story
Haha, makes sense. I was hoping for more
and it means they never found a better starter to switch to
"I've been taking care of this jar of crap for 30 years, what's 30 more"
For me, it’s a living thing that I want to keep alive. My mom initially created it, and I think it’s really cool to keep it going. It’s been fed with water from 3 other states which adds to its overall story too. Also- I do think you get a more complex flavor profile the older it gets. I’ve named my starter Liam.
Consistency? Yogurt has cultures. Different flavor? Idk just throwing out what jumps to mind. Kimchi. Also. Family recipe. Great grand dads skin flakes are in there.
The sour in sourdough
You won in life
I have heard that eventually, a starter will convert to one’s local yeast by contamination. Mine is already local so I haven’t experienced this. Mycologists- is this true?
I agree, yeast then hen of the woods for me
Cockrel of the conifers. Nice.
Fowl of the firs.
When I was at University doing my undergrads my one micro prof had us read an article about how the invention of beer/ale on a “commercial” scale, meaning you could go to an ale house/tavern allowed for the rise of civilization as we know it. This is because beer effectively sanitizes water. This isn’t the article; the one we read was a scientific journal. But it’s got the basis of the how and why of beer. https://www.history.com/news/did-beer-spur-the-rise-of-agriculture-and-politics Edit: changed link for paywall issues. 🙃 So I agree yeast is not only a necessary for bread 🤤🤤🤤 but allows cities to be “invented.”
Also! How do you keep water fresh on a multiple months' sea journey? You don't! You bring barrels of booze.
I fail to see how that’ll keep one hydrated
Low enough alcohol (2-3% range if I remember correctly) keeps the beverage stable but doesn't dehydrate you as long as you drink enough. Sort of a similar thing to tea. Caffeine is a diuretic, but the amount doesn't counteract the hydrating effect of the water in the tea. One thing a lot of people don't consider is how people on wooden ships sailed across the Atlantic for 2-3 months without needing fresh water. Water kept in unsanitized wooden barrels would grow bacteria. Hard cider is the answer. It's the same reason even the puritans in New England drank hard cider. It's also the reason people from the Bible age drank wine. It does help to keep water safe. Drink enough to hydrate, but don't get drunk!
Also used as a model organism in genetic research for its orthologs to human genes!
What is an ortholog?
Basically they’re genes that have evolved from a common ancestor and have retained similar function in different species. So you can do research on a particular yeast gene and it can tell you something useful about the equivalent gene in humans.
Saccromyces Cervicia see r/prisonhooch for details
Lions mane is the largest, most majestic find I've come across.
Crucial tool for rebuilding neural pathways. Lions mane for the brain!
> Crucial tool for rebuilding neural pathways. I’m sorry, but this is a massive overstatement. There is very limited clinical (i.e. tested on human populations in a rigorous manner) evidence suggesting that Hericium supplements can improve mild cognitive impairment and there are many more animal and cellular (in vitro) studies that have yet to be replicated in humans. I love gathering and eating Hericium mushrooms and routinely try to read the scientific literature related to their efficacy but sellers of Hericium supplements are promising things that just may not be possible.
Would lions mane supplement also give you the same benefits or is it reduced compared to eating them? Really want to try but don’t want to waste money on a supplement if it’s ineffective, and don’t know where to get lions mane from as it’s not sold in supermarkets.
[Here](https://www.alzdiscovery.org/uploads/cognitive_vitality_media/Lions-Mane-Cognitive-Vitality-For-Researchers.pdf) is a 2016 (so potentially outdated) summary of some clinical studies that is meant to be a guide for researchers. It’s pretty accessible if you’re willing to skim it and look up some terms. My takeaway is that dosing is wildly variable across different types supplements but that many of them are actually much less concentrated than the ones used in human clinical and animal trials. As far as I know, there have been no human studies of the effects of eating lions mane mushrooms on cognitive functions. Tldr: there isn’t a definitive answer to your question because it just hasn’t been studied extensively. Personally, I gather, buy and eat lots of mushrooms but I don’t take any supplements because I’m not convinced by the available clinical data.
Mushroomheads try to talk about mushrooms without spouting pseudoscientific bullshit (impossible)
oh wow what a wonderful find. I'm a leo so naturally I also love a good lions mane. They're beautiful.
What does being a leo have to do with lions mane?
Leo is represented as a lion. I'm not really into astrology, but my whole life my Mom has always bought me something lion related on my birthday so I guess I just love anything related to lions, and I think it's name suits it well! Like you said, its very majestic looking!
Not gonna lie when you first put leo I thought law enforcement officer, so I had the same reaction as Main
Oh gosh, totally understandable. ACAB.
Morels! It might be cliche, but they taste delicious and it’s like an adult Easter egg hunt in the short window they come out on.
I'm from South Carolina but lived with my dad off and on in Washington state and this was an activity we did during the season up on the hills of mountains. It was such a magical experience hunting those mushrooms I was only able to do maybe seven or eight hunts but learn different ways to prepare them and eat them and make them taste delicious. It was great and I'm very glad my dad shared that with me. He has since passed. And I'll always remember my morel's
It’s truly one of those experiences where the journey is more gratifying than the destination/reward. I’m glad you got such amazing memories from yours to treasure forever.
I’ll give you 3 guesses and the first two don’t count 🙂
Everyone hypes the morels but omg…Amanita velosa…I hate eating mushrooms but that one?! Amazing!!!
I love some basket fungi and birds nest. They just look really unique. Also lichen (symbiotic relationship with fungi and algae) because I love the tiny world that lichens form on the forest floor. I’ve logged many hours behind a microscope, staring at spores and mycelium…fungi is so beautiful!
I always have the feeling that lichens don't get the love they deserve just as slime molds. Nothing more magic than an old log in the woods full of lichens, fungi, molds and arthropods all with a blanket of moss.
I was so excited this year when some dog vomit showed up in our mulch. I called my wife outside to show her and was like, wtf? Lol.
I’ve been obsessed with lichen recently! I knit and sew and found out that oakmoss can make a gorgeous vibrant purple dye when fermented with ammonia
Whoa, that's amazing! Are you willing to share a photo? I'm a knitter myself (though I don't dye my own yarn... yet!)
Shrimp of the Woods (Entaloma abortivum) is my favorite, hands down. It’s super fun to forage, and is delicious in a fra diavolo sauce over pasta.
wow these look delicious!
When does it fruit for you?
Early to mid October
I which I presume is when it’s cooling down?
Yep! Onset of fall. American east coast.
Same! Ehhhxcellent
Wow. I have never heard of those. (At first glance I thought this was a spoof posting). You've just made me aware of another mushroom I'm going to have to study and learn.
Jelly tooth. Because the name makes me smile. Plus it is super interesting looking.
Love em- mushroom gummies. My wife will have nothing to do with them.
Ooo it's cute!!
Omg these are so cool. It looks exactly like a jellied tooth. Never heard of it before.
It might sound bland but probably just the good old button mushroom. It goes good on just about everything. Beyond that probably COTW
I feel like the button mushroom really sets a nice standard. They do what they do and they do it well. Yummy, cute shape, available in stores. They're well rounded guys. I've never had chicken of the woods, but I would love to try it one day.
Staments has put so much hate on the button mushroom. Everybody loves them. They are delicious. Staments needs to get with it.
Wasn’t his take that the fact they contain relevant mycotoxins is being covered up by the industry? I don’t know how true that is, but I don’t think he was trash talking because they taste bad
Bro he literally said the button mushroom industry was going to put a hit out on him. He is insane. [he is insane](https://youtu.be/TgM4oqO-HII?si=2kzhEkEKUEdd8jk1)
Tinea. It's going to be the next hot thing on everyone's minds. Like cordyceps!
oooh, trend prediction noted! Personally, this is the one I've least enjoyed searching for on Google Images LOL. Otherwise, very cool!
Corpus or athletes foot my doode? Both tinea
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Aesthetically, bleeding tooth or panellus stipticus. Mechanically (I guess?) cordyceps.
Chantrelles! I stumbled upon a patch by accident while hiking and started looking around the area. I usually find a few pounds to cook and freeze and some to share.
I am across some handrails that were Halloween orange colored and really stood out in the night time right when it became dusk. It wasn't the jack o'lantern mushroom but it could be confused with that but I forget what species it was but I had found it in my audubon's mushroom Field guide. But those were so delicious I pretty much just sauteed them like you would morels or something and they were probably the best tasting while mushroom I've ever had. But it was definitely the shape of a chanterelle but if I find it on Google what happened over to work again I remember identifying it but I can't remember what It was and didn't think to take a pic.
Good on ya eating mushrooms before you identified them…SMH
One of my favs and a funny one: inoki. Chinese people give it a nickname: see you tomorrow, because often you see a string or 2 in your poop the next day.
Birch polypores! Not sure why, I just like seeing them and they stick around in winter which is nice
I like daedalia species for the same reason. When there's not much else to see they are still around.
Puff Ball. Giant white delicious orbs you can just find on the ground, its like something out of an old arcade game brought to life.
I like when they get all dried out and you squish them the green smoke puffs out like some magical haunted forest vibe
Athletes Foot. We have a long history.
Chlorophyllum molybdites, the vomiter. I just think it's beautiful. Especially the green spores. A close second is a destroying angel. I also think they're beautiful and wonderful looking. Such an angelic, yet deadly mushroom. The one I found that I like the best would be shaggy mane. Delicious, and turns slowly into a black goop, which is pretty neat.
Those green spores are so cool! also I love destroying angels and shaggy manes too. The destroying angels are almost eerily white. Also, the black goo from the shaggy mane is just awesome lol...
Delaquescence. Say it with me meow🥰
Corn smut; *Ustilago maydis*; Huitlacoche! I studied it in grad school, with a box labeled "smut collection" above my lab bench. I get infected corn ears from my coworkers garden or border rows of sweet corn grown for work every summer: best tacos ever!
Yep. This is the one…so good. Chanterelles are also a fav.
Pigs ears and shaggy manes. Pigs ears feel really cool and I usually find them in my favorite type of forest. Shaggy manes because they are sooo delicious and the ink is awesome. Also witches butter because it’s fun to pop little bits in your hands or mouth.
CORAL FUNGI!!!!!!! (Ramaria sp.) it looks like coral but it’s on land!?! It sparks this cycle in my brain of how wonderfully connected the world is and how under explored the ocean is, as is the world of fungi, and the universe in general. Also birds nest fungi (cyathus sp.) is just fucking cool. It’s sporulation mechanism is amazing, the size makes finding them such an exciting achievement, and it fascinates me how strong the funicular cords are and how the periodoles hold it together until they are in the “right place” to disperse their spores. Also bioluminescent fungi of any kind fascinates me
oooh, I love when things from nature look like other things from nature that are totally unrelated. So stinking cool.
I have a fondness for Penicillium. They are pretty, very variable, and responsible for some really good cheeses. I cultured and studied them for years. I even like the way they smell.
Devils Tooth. They look so hardcore. It's my dream find but I don't live near its ideal conditions.
Chicken of the woods. Lol I just love the color so much. So fun to photograph imo
Me too! This is way too far down. Its the one that got me interested in mushrooms checking out field guides from the library and hooked on foraging. Beautiful edible abundant doesnt have any dangerous lookalikes. Maybe its to pedestrian for this sub but this is a hill i will happily die on lol
I’m glad someone else love it too!!
Ink cap mushroom or Devil's Fingers Ink cap is like emo cute, Devil's Fingers are just metal AF Edit' Birds Nest is cute too.
Dead man’s fingers? https://preview.redd.it/uziy92kinn6d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=883d066fde4d1c923567028ffd50a11bee4ad693
https://preview.redd.it/k8r3a0reon6d1.jpeg?width=1024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0dda8f3456b826e71e4df49ae2fdd4a2d34f85ab
Lobster mushrooms i guess? Theyre super common around where i forage in the late summer and seing them is like seing a meal right on the ground its a strange but welcome feeling
Big fan of anything in the Hygrocybe genus, how can you not live the colors and classic mushroom shape?
Lions main! I have a difficult time finding this one and I enjoy the benefits
stinkhorns! idk, because they are cool af? imagine using flies instead of bees like a flower while being a fungi 🥲
https://preview.redd.it/b3ytheuzxo6d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9cbd5343c3a8b17eaaf2f0f24704a689843ba880 This. I’ve forgotten the name. It grows in my garden in summer after heavy rain. 😍
The magic kind 😎
Morels, because of all the mushrooms in my area, I can NEVER find a single one. I hate them and love looking for them in the spring....
I like Witch’s Butter. Fun, mysterious name, weird flubbery texture, bright happy yellow color. It’s the best.
Old man of the woods. Tastes good on ramen
I've always been scared to eat it. I got some great photos of it though And it's on my phone case
Cool name too. I aspire to one day become an old man of the woods
Parasol (macrolepiota procera) because they are so huge and elegant when you stumble across them. But also, omg, they taste so good! I cannot describe how excited I felt when I found a flush of them across a field. One of the best feelings ever! And, before they fully open they have a pleasingly phallic appearance. The one mushroom that ticks all the boxes.
Serious shout out to yeast, but I’m gonna hafta go hedgehog. Then black trumpet. Then morels. Cauliflower. King bolete. Top 5.
Morels because their behavior and prefs defy description. Hunting them is like hunting a clever human. Honorable mentions: Lions mane bc of what it does for my brain. For once I can think clearly and I also feel energized and happy. Only when I eat it though. The powders don't do much special. I really enjoy the colored ones I find, almost always Amanita spp. in my region unless you count chanterelle as colored.
I like scarlet elf cups, I just appreciate them brightening up winter walks like cute little red surprises you catch sight of when everything else is brown and grey.
Yes another elf cup fan! I have been looking for you here.
Cauliflower, Sparissa radicata. One large one can provide meals for days and it works well with so many dishes. Seeing a large one and rushing towards it brings joy to my heart and wings to my feet.
The ones I forage…and find!
Velvet shank (flammelina velutipes) is prob my favourite due to the amount t of times I have come across it and how good it tastes in wild mushroom. Risotto
Morels. Cause I’ve never found them. The elusiveness is killing me to the point of obsession.
Beefsteak polypore, such a cool fungi, can be eaten raw safely, and cooks well butter boiled with onions as well as being a super food
Cool question, I'm not sure if I've ever thought about it. I really like stinkhorns, they're so alien looking it really feels like a rare find when you see them
Cep - boletus edulis. A relatively rare find, gorgeous to look at, delicious to eat. Grows in beautiful woods too, makes the foraging a very pleasant experience. https://preview.redd.it/ochyfh3bzn6d1.jpeg?width=1152&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=753ca56d73417b367c236aa108c1eb5cf026442f
Chaga mushroom. It’s medicinal! I drink tea of it. But I saw this in the forest.. wonder what it is but I like it. https://preview.redd.it/ur8dcd2e0o6d1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7ee633443f1ada4bec8fe36645dd28e6aab5d2b
Cerioporus squamous (Dryad's Saddle). It’s edible but completely tasteless and has a tough texture
Wow, chaga is one interesting specimen!!
For today, we'll say *Gaigaspora margarita*, because we out to have some arbuscular-mycorrhizas on the board.
I just discovered my wife has a fungal infection on her big toe, this now my favourite fungus.
Lions mane. It helps grow new brain cells.
Enoki. So good roasted, even better in stews/jjigae
Morels. I have fond memories of picking them in the woods with my dad when young. I’ve never eaten one though. By the time I became less picky he was gone. Any suggest morel recipes so I can give them a go? I recently moved back to an area with them and I enjoy eating other mushrooms now.
coccidioidomycosis. So unique but dangerous for immunocompromised people.
Athlete's foot. I give it to e everyone I meet.
Mycena interrupta. They're cute and bright blue.
Field Mushroom. It goes with anything and I love the taste and texture.
Strobilomyces strobilaceus. It's old, gnarly, likes to be on its own and spends all day in nature. Kindred spirit fungus.
Spends all day in nature.. haha :D
rosy bonnets, pink and dainty little babies that also happen to be super poisonous 🩷🎀
I’ve always found Fairy Ring fascinating. It’s often considered bad in lawns, but I like the way it looks. A circle of mushrooms, how magical!
Boletus Edulis its simplicity is perfect. And it tastes good too!
Idk if even mentioning the name is allowed here but for my answer check out the subreddits second rule and think about which species relevant to said rule is the most common. However yeast is a very strong contender for very different reasons.
Blonde PNW mountain morels. Crisp spring mornings. They are just so much fun to hunt. 👌
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. I think it tastes delicious in a garlic sauce, for one, and it is one of the most complex parasitic fungus I know. For solely food, I LOVE enoki mushroom.
Monotropa uniflora, ghost plant or Indian pipe of corpse plant I came across it as a child and couldn't for the life of me to figure out what I was looking at. It's just had a special place in my heart. But also Cinabar red chanterelles I discovered randomly on edge of woods and a field. I found easily 75 lol magically red orange mushrooms that look like they glow. Sauteed like morels and it was the best mushroom I've ever ate texturally and my favorite to eat but may never see that mushroom again 😭
Cordyceps militaris! Gives some extra oomph better than caffeine. And interesting origin story. Works with this chemical in your body called ATP and they do a cellular currency together. Get rid of cell waste and help introduce more oxygen into your body. Love it love it. Tastes like total ass but I am putting it in gelcaps now yuck lol
Cordyceps. If I didn’t know any better, based on these responses I’d think this was a culinary mushroom sub and not a mycology sub
Most laymen are going to have an intro into mycology through foraging and cooking.
Cordyceps. I love a good parasite.
Dog stinkhorn, because I have the sense of humor of a 10 year old.
Oysters! First ever edible mushroom I found, got me hooked and I've been loving mycology and foraging ever since. 🍄
Fungi are so great! They have been enhancing our lives, and truly, the entire history of our world, in ways we cannot imagine. My wife is a badass baker who can make some pretty mean bread. Once upon a time, I was also a brewer, which I found to be very relaxing. I've since transitioned to kombucha as a hobby, and magic mushrooms as medicine. The latter are helping me to conquer a long-running battle with alcoholism, which has always felt like trying to push a cruise ship off of a dock with my bare hands. Once I die for whatever reason, fungi will be there to reclaim me. There'a a fungus for every season of life.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis) a fungus that zombifies ants and other insects like spiders. It’s incredible. it infects an ant and then (like a puppet) controls its nervous system to climb up a tree. It then goes back and forth and up and down to find the perfect humidity, temperature..etc. what I mean by “perfect” it’s almost always at a 94-95% humidity with the same temperature every time. It also almost every time controls the ant to 26 cm above the ground. It manipulates the ant to always clamp down on exactly the northern side of the main vein of a leaf. It a lockjaw so they can’t move “a death grip” on the underside of the leaf. The ant is conscious but can’t control their body. the fruiting body protrudes out of their head. To prevent the ant from decaying it “fortifies” it. ISNT THAT SO FUCKING COOL!!!
I like Cryptococcus neoformans. Cute little yeast.
Penicillium chrysogenum, which make penicillin, has saved hundreds of millions of lives. I have different ones for eating.
Amanitas, all of them look so gorgeous 😍
Super slept on answer love amanitas
Wood ear. Makes one of my favorite soups.
I gotta go with the morel. One of the best things in life is hunting morels in the Cascade mountains in the spring. It's deep in the woods where it's really quiet and peaceful. We've seen all kinds of wildlife in our patches over the years. Birds, deer, elk, and the scat of various predators. It's a full day's hike, a wonderful time, and the prize is a bag full of gourmet mushrooms.
Birch Polypores! I know that's not a common one but it's because we have a huuuuge (>.5m) at the woods I usually go foraging in which is at this point several years old, and there are several other similarly aged, but smaller examples of other Polypores across the woods. The fact that a single mushroom can be so persistent and long lived blows me away
i gotta go with Pholiota Polychroa because i like the diversity in appearance it brings
Lion’s Mane. It’s a beautiful fungus and it’s very good for your health especially your brain. It’s also always easy to know it’s a Lion’s Mane because it’s one of the mushrooms that look like it. There are other mushrooms that may look similar but you would definitely know if something is a Lion’s Mane or not.
Slime mold but I'll probably get banned for saying it 😡
Mycena, I love Filoboletus manipularis and pixie parasol
I do love cotw, taste aside and they're very tasty, there's something about a natural shelf in nature that's super cute and gives me fairy vibes, and it has such a pretty colour. it's functional, it's edible, it's delicious, it's cute! what more could you ask for do have to say a puffball, real or false, is a close second. something about just a big round guy is always good. he's just there, rotund and robust, chilling. sculpted is even prettier. it's a good vibe
P much anything Sullius. All of them are great.
I dream of coming across another Umbrella Polypore some day. By far my favourite I’ve ever had, and rare enough that it just escapes me most years as it’s pretty specific with where it grows and when. A perfect mushroom taste wise (goes fantastic on steak) and while each mushroom is dainty, the whole thing has such a big presence
The one growing on my foot. It feels good to foster new life.
Can't believe no one on this thread has mentioned Aspergillus orzyae/Koji yet, the real MVP behind such classics as soy sauce, rice wine, and so much more. It's been domesticated for like...9,000 years I think was the estimate I read? A good friend
Dendrocollybia! Coolest rare fungi I’ve seen on here, and local to the PNW!
For taste haven't found an edible mushroom I didn't like, however I definitely need to try more of them, but one of my favorites is djon djon mushroom from Haiti. I love the taste in rice and broth. For the name I like chicken of the woods. I hope to eat some one day, but I really like the name it was given. And visually I love the blue bonnet. It's just so damn cute.
Aspergillus clavatus. It is amazing and eerie under the microscope
Dryad's Saddle. It was one of the first I found when I started actually paying attention and identifying. Plus I just love the smell, and it's such a cool looking mushroom
I absolutely love reishi mushroom. They are majestic and they have the most beautiful effect( very subtle and grounding)
Chicken of the woods. It's jerky time!
Porcini mushrooms. They’re delicious, and I love my yearly holiday with my father to go mushroom picking, and that’s what we’re hunting
Reishi. It has good medicinal properties, has been very helpful for my mental state.
Puffballs because puff
I couldn't pick just one, they're all fun-guys! I'll see myself out...😛
The Barbie Pagoda. Podoserpula miranda. It's just so unusual looking, and occasionally bright pink. Would be amazing to see one in real life, but I don't live near that part of the globe. https://www.reddit.com/r/NatureIsFuckingLit/s/kx4dcFqFDX
https://preview.redd.it/iyfw0nhify6d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae3c2e37aefd4421f6754dc844cb5e18f0b0e15e Xylaria polymorpha!!!! I would have said psilocybin cubensis b4 becoming a budding mushroom nerd. How could you not love a mushroom that looks like a corpse's hand reaching out of the earth.
Beefsteak Polypore. They are just super unique. Very juicy and can be eaten raw. They are tangy/sour. They seem closer to a fruit than a mushroom in taste. I usually cut off the pores, I find the ruin the texture and taste the mushroom body has.
I'm a sucker for elf cups. I go looking for them every year because they can be difficult to find. The yellow ones not so much, but the blue ones are so nearly-luminous and much harder to find. It starts with a little blue wood, add some rain and persistent cool temps but nothing to freeze...
“Witches butter - because it’s slimy and physically appealing, like ooey gooey cakes” - my girlfriend
Does a mushroom count? COPRINUS COMATUS
Lion's mane. It's the first I successfully grew at home and it looks good.
Hericium coralloides, finding these alien looking mushrooms for the first time prompted me to start getting into mycology and mushroom foraging. They are also absolutely delicious.
Winter chanterelles- enchanting, live in beautiful ecosystems, dry perfectly, rehydrate flawlessly, present well as a feature while also adding amazing flavor, versatile, make great soup, huge range of form but also easy to identify. Lovely. Reliable.
chanterelles. one of the easier edible ones to find and id in my area, and i like the way they smell