A quick introduction into fungi with a really fun guy, Hudson Valley mycologist, Luke Sarrantonio. Luke is the founder of Mycophilic and For the Love of Fungi Mushroom and Arts Festival. You can find him online at @Mycophilicorganism or on Mycophilic.net. 

What’s the difference between fungi and mushrooms? What is mycelium?
Luke: You can think of a Fungus as the whole organism and the mushroom as the fruit (often referred to as a fruiting body) of that organism, similar to how many plants make fruit. Mycelium is the main part of the fungus; it is made up of many microscopic filaments called hyphae. Mycelium is sometimes compared to a fruit tree, and the mushroom to a pear or apple on that tree. One of the mysterious things about mycelium is that it remains mostly unseen in the environment, but it is all around us all the time. One study found 8 miles of fungal cells bundled tightly together in just one cubic inch of soil.

Are mushrooms vegetables?
Luke: Mushrooms are the fruit of Fungi, a separate group from Plants. Until 1969 (the summer of Love) Fungi were considered by science to be Plants and if you look in old books, you may see them refer to “the mushroom plant”. Finally Fungi became their own recognized “Kingdom”, although many prefer to use Queendom or Kindom. We have Plants, Animals, Bacteria (classified as 2) and Protists alongside Fungi at this highest level of classification.

When is the best time to look for mushrooms in NY?
Luke: You can find many different types of mushrooms at the Ashokan Center and surrounding area. Some Fungi prefer to fruit at certain times of year, while others will emerge whenever the conditions are right. You can find Fungi fruiting bodies all year round, but the ones that I would call “fleshy”, tend to fruit in most abundance between May and October. Always remember to be 100% sure about ID if you are planning to consume wild mushrooms, “if in doubt, toss it out!”

Do I need to cook mushrooms?
Luke: I recommend always cooking mushrooms, it will break the cells and allow you to absorb more of the nutrients and sometimes certain fungi can have bacteria on their surface that can harm you if not cooked (like food poisoning).

What do mushrooms provide, in terms of nutrition?
Luke: Honestly, I believe that eating more edible mushrooms is one of the best things that people can do for their health. We’re focusing on this specifically with a new project we call Eat More Mushrooms. Every mushroom produces different compounds and offers unique benefits, but in general they can be a source of Vitamins D2 + D3, B6, Selenium, Riboflavin, Ergothioneine, Potassium, Protein and Fiber, to mention a few. Fungi also contain a unique group of polysaccharides that they create in their cell walls, which is known to stimulate the immune system, called 1-3/1-6 beta glucan (β-1,3/1,6-glucan). That’s just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to medicinal compounds produced by Fungi.

Where can I go to learn more about mushrooms?
Luke: Come to the Ashokan Center on April 14th and join us for Spring Explorations: Mushroom Ecology, or reach out to me at Mycophilic.net, a learning resource for people looking to delve deeper into the world of Fungi. I also offer private and public walks, consulting, outdoor cultivation workshops, and small batch products. There are so many other great learning resources and passionate people excited to share their experience with you and I’m happy to make connections where I can.