Let’s talk mushrooms. It’s peak season, and Eliise Brigita Mõisamaa shares her journey into the world of mushrooms – how she got started, what she recommends. Think of it as a guide for getting the best experience in the forest. The woods are full of shrooms right now – you just need to know how to approach them.
"My mushroom obsession started when I was a small kid. I grew up in a family of mushroom pickers. We had a competition amongst three sisters who could find the magical parasol mushroom (suur sirmik) that we all so desperately sought. We even had a little song we sang, hoping it would reveal the mushroom`s hiding place: ”suur sirmik suuuuur siiiirmiik kuuuss saaaaaa ooooooleeeed?” We sang it over and over again, like a chant, hoping to find the mushroom that tastes like chicken schnitzel. I still sing it to this day when I am out there mushroom picking, still yearning for that mushroom. Sometimes I find her, sometimes she eludes me. "
"That early mushroom hunt awakened something in me."
"I grew up in Nõmme, surrounded by forests. Our house was right next to the Harku forest trails, and as kids, we spent countless hours exploring and, of course, mushrooming. It was our grandma who first introduced us to mushrooms, teaching us which ones to pick and which ones to avoid."
"It came so naturally and I've always felt that finding and picking them is like an addiction. I get a mushroom rush and want to keep carrying on and on and on and on and on until I am exhausted or simply there is no more room in my basket. I feel a similar feeling when I am thrifting stuff. It is a natural hunter-gatherer instinct for me."
"When I go mushrooming, I prefer to listen to the sounds that the forest makes. Trees rustling in the wind, birds singing, insects buzzing."
"I like to be aware of my surroundings and take it all in. It’s calming and grounding."
"Mushroom hunting is my favorite hobby. I love observing the mushrooms textures and shapes, and how the forest changes, grassy patches and mossy areas. When it turns into a pine tree forest or fir tree one, or is it a mixed forest. These details help me predict what type of mushrooms might grow there. For example, if I see fallen trees surrounded by moss, I go in and search for everyone's favourites - trumpet shaped chanterelles. The easiest and safest mushrooms to recognize and to prepare food from. If you are a beginner mushroom enthusiast then stick with these golden beauties."
"One of the most sought-after mushrooms is Leccinum (puravik). I adore finding them. They are so cute! I feel like tiny forest creatures would have them as their homes. They have a soft, sponge-like layer under the cap and smell and taste a bit nutty. Perfect for risottos and pastas! But beware of the Boletus satanas (Saatana kivipuravik). They are poisonous!"
"Another dangerous one is the Lurid Bolete (Tamme-kivipuravik), which is poisonous if not boiled. If you eat it and drink alcohol with it, you might get coprine alcohol syndrome. This occurs when a person who has eaten coprine-containing mushrooms consumes alcohol, triggering a severe intolerance that causes nausea, flushing, and other unpleasant symptoms. I have firsthand experience with this. I survived, and it taught me the importance of careful identification."
"That’s why I recommend always taking a mushroom guidebook with you. Then you can identify the mushroom right then and there! Only pick and eat the mushrooms that you are 100% sure of."
"If you are new to mushrooming and not sure what to pick, then go with an experienced friend. That’s how I reintroduced myself to mushrooming in my early twenties. "
"I have a friend who is as obsessed with mushrooms as me, so I started going mushrooming with her family. But now I like to go all by myself as well. Sometimes I check the Facebook group EESTIMAA SEENED if I need to get some extra knowledge or have a hard time identifying some mushrooms."
"You should look for the Rufous Milkcaps (männiriisikas) under pine trees and Birch Milkcaps (kaseriisikas) where there are more birch trees. The name gives you hints. I would say it is quite easy to recognize milkcaps. I usually pick only the ones I know – Rufous, Birch, and Spruce Milkcaps (kuuseriisikas)."
"They are quite distinctive-looking, and if you cut them, they secrete a milky liquid. That’s how you know you are dealing with milkcaps. Most milkcaps need to be boiled at least twice before marinating, and I often soak them overnight in cold water. I absolutely love marinated milkcaps – sometimes called 'poor people’s mushrooms'. "
"Kõrvemaa and Aegviidu are good places to go mushrooming."
Basic granny-style marinated mushroom recipe:
1. Boil cleaned mushrooms for 10–15 minutes at least 2–3 times.2. Drain and rinse.3. Make a pickling brine (water, vinegar, salt, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaf, cloves, carrot, onion).4. Pour the hot brine over mushrooms in sterilized jars.5. Seal and let marinate.
Good for winter storage and perfect for your Christmas table! Also great as a zakuska!
Getting ready for mushroom picking:"Before heading into the forest, you need to hype yourself up:
Listen to “Seenekorjamise laul” (music by Arne Oit, lyrics by E. Sepling). It’s perfect for elevating the mushroom mood!
Pick a cute foresty outfit to respect Mother Nature and protect yourself from ticks. Looking cute = more mushrooms (scientifically unproven, but I swear it works).
Get yourself a cool mushroom knife.
Have a little snacky-snack in the forest – everything tastes great in the woods."
"And don’t get lost in the forest."
"If I could be any mushroom, I would definitely be fly agaric (kärbseseen). Nobody picks me except for some fools who believe dried fly agaric can cure all ailments. They can pick me if they want… and I’ll gladly make them suffer a little."
"I would stay in the forest, chilling out, being hot and pretty, and mostly ignored."
"Since our economy sucks and money is tight for most of us, mushrooming is the ultimate life hack – a hobby and a survival skill all in one."
"It helps you save money on groceries while keeping your mental health in check."
“Also, I have to mention – right now the Estonian Museum of Natural History is hosting its 63rd Mushroom Exhibition (September 11–21). It’s a must-stop: over 140 species on display, from edible and inedible to the dangerously poisonous, plus experts ready to answer all your mushroom questions and even a shop full of mushroom-themed souvenirs.”
"Enjoy!"