The Magazine of The Sierra Club
A Costly Lesson in Mushroom Identification
A mushroom collector makes a tiny mistake and almost needs a new liver
It was prime mushroom time in Northern California's Sonoma County. The previous weekend, my boyfriend, a very experienced forager, had gone to Salt Point State Park, which allows collecting for personal use. He'd found some amazing matsutake and porcini, so we went back to get more.
The woods were misty, smelling very earthy, very magical. Everywhere I looked, there were more mushrooms. We found seven different types of edible mushrooms that day.
That evening, my boyfriend threw out some death caps I'd mistaken for young hedgehog mushrooms. He must have missed one.
I made a dairy-based chanterelle soup for some friends and a broth-based version with chanterelles and "hedgehogs" for myself. It was so good, I had a second bowl.
The next day I was tired. I slept for three days. Then I saw myself in the mirror: jaundice. When I went to the hospital, I was rushed to the ICU—I almost needed a new liver.
This article appeared in the March/April 2017 edition with the headline "Second Helpings."
Ask the Expert
Debbie Viess is a cofounder of the Bay Area Mycological Society.
"You must scrutinize and carefully identify each and every mushroom in a basket of edible species before eating it. Many excellent field guides and local mushroom clubs are available to help you identify wild mushrooms. Never eat beyond your own knowledge level. When in doubt, throw it out!"
Illustration by Koren Shadmi