Picking mushrooms in Sardinia

In Autumn, woods of Sardinia will bloom with mushrooms of all kind. Habitat offered by the isle are perfect to have a rich picking and for having some relaxing time in the wild nature of Sardinia. For the inhabitants, mushrooms picking’s an old tradition deeply rooted. It’s well known that this kind of activity requests respect for the environment: auto-limitation (max. three kg daily for each picker), using the right tools and the right picking methods, respecting private estates and mushrooms picking controlled areas and, furthermore, a deep knowledge of these extraordinary gift of Nature.

The advice, the most important talking about mushrooms, is to be extremely sure of what you’re going to eat. Otherwise, you can contact the local sanitary authority to let them check if the mushrooms you’ve just picked it’s edible or not and to let them check in any case, if you’re little or nothing expert about it.

Sardinia offers a wide variety of mushrooms you can find in woods of broad-leaved and conifer trees. Even between the brush roots of the Mediterranean maquis and on the sandy grounds near the coasts, you’ll have your surprises.

Both if you’re interested in mycological research or in culinary experience, you won’t be back home with empty hands; and in your walk in the woods you can even find some endemic species of Sardinia, such as: Boletus Permagnificus and Boletus Ichnusanus.

As each inhabitant of Sardinia who knows something about mushrooms can tell you, wood areas of broad-leaved trees are the most productive ones. The better place for mushrooms picking in Sardinia? Our advice is, then, to start from the mountain areas, such as the ones of Central Sardinia (e.g. Nuoro, Aritzo or Fonni). From there, it will be easy and fast to reach the woods.

Photo: www.flickr.com/photos/marjoleinvegers/