"My hobby is mushroom picking"
A few years ago, the unique hobby of Finland's most beautiful woman, who was chosen as Miss Finland, became a hot topic among Korean netizens.
Miss Finland proudly revealed that her hobby is 'mushroom gathering'.
Mushroom picking in Finland is a popular pastime enjoyed by one in three adults.
This is because over two-thirds of Finland's land is covered with forests, and wild mushrooms that grow in the forests are abundant.
Every year in autumn, when mushrooms are in season, people go out to the forest to pick mushrooms.
In Finland, anyone can gather wild-grown berries and mushrooms, even outside their own land.
In the past, Finns gathered a lot of wild mushrooms to satisfy hunger due to a lack of food.
Currently, for other reasons, in addition to continuing the tradition, interest in Shintobuli and natural foods has increased.
Recently, it has become fashionable not only for the older generation but also for the younger generation to show off their mushrooms on social media.
Mushrooms are mushrooms too, but collecting mushrooms is a great opportunity to spend time with friends on the road, build friendships, and heal mind and body in nature. When gathering, most people carry a similarly shaped basket in their hand, a traditional Finnish basket made of pine bark, 'pärekori'. Parecori is best suited for transporting and storing freshly picked mushrooms with good airflow.
Another thing you need to gather mushrooms is a 'dedicated knife' with a brush. Mushrooms are usually brushed off without washing with water before being cooked. After collecting mushrooms, they light a bonfire and grill mushrooms on the spot. Freshly picked mushrooms are much more delicious than most meat.
Another reason people go hunting mushrooms in this way is that 'mushroom picking' is a rather risky hobby. In order to distinguish poisonous mushrooms among edible mushrooms, the opinion of the majority must be supported. Even the famous 'Survival King Bear Grylls' is well aware of the dangers of poisonous mushrooms, so no matter how hungry he is, he never digs up and eats mushrooms and uses them as firewood. Nevertheless, in Finland, sometimes news of people who died from eating poisonous mushrooms are reported.
The most poisonous and lethal mushroom that grows in Finland is the poison ivy (Finnish: Valkokärpässieni). It is called the 'Angel of Death' because of its pure white color and the appearance of a simple and neat angel. It is dozens of times more poisonous than cyanide, so even just one can cause death. In Europe, there is a saying, "Some mushrooms can only be eaten once in a lifetime", which is a reference to poisonous mushrooms like this one. There are many deadly poisonous mushrooms among white mushrooms, so it is a rule to avoid picking white mushrooms as much as possible in Finland.
In order to avoid these poisonous mushrooms, we usually go through the process of finding mushrooms and then checking them with a mushroom book. Even mushroom experts say that they collect only one new mushroom per year, because it is not easy to distinguish several mushrooms at once. (Unfortunately, Finns also eat half poisonous mushrooms, which are slightly poisonous. Some poisonous mushrooms lose their poison by boiling several times after changing the water, and the representative edible half poisonous mushroom is false morels.)
In the meantime, Finnish mushroom picking has been introduced through various media. Mushrooms appear as important props in the Japanese film 'Kamone's Restaurant', set in Finland. The main character, Masako, longs for tranquility while staying in Finland after losing her luggage, and searches for the Finnish forest. There, he finds a coveted golden mushroom and begins to gather, but he gets drunk with the beauty of the sky and loses all the mushrooms he has picked. However, the mushrooms that were lost are magically found in the baggage they have been found. Through this dramatic story, we can guess from the fact that what Masako really wanted was not 'Jim', but another 'something' that the mushroom symbolized.
A popular reality TV program in Korea also aired the episode of 'Three Finnish youths picking mushrooms'. The mushroom they picked was also a golden mushroom, and the Finnish name for this mushroom is Cantarella (original mushroom or chanterelle mushroom because it smells like apricots in Korea), and it is one of the most loved mushrooms by Finns. This mushroom, called 'gold from the forest' because of its color, is especially high in vitamin D, so it is like a gift from the sky to Finns who do not often see sunlight. It lives in birch forests, but it is not easily noticed by beginners.
When I first settled in Finland, I had a friendly neighbor who occasionally gave out vegetables I grew in my garden. One day, he handed out this cantarella, saying that he had found it in a nearby forest. He even told me the recipe, saying, "I just need to season it with salt and pepper after frying," and the stir-fried mushrooms I cooked in that way were fantastic. But that kind neighbor, he doesn't tell you exactly where he picked the mushrooms. As it turns out later, Finns say that if they find a place where cantarella mushrooms are abundant, they don't tell anyone. I go there every year to pick myself. In our way, it is a secret that 'not even to my daughter-in-law'.
Edible mushrooms other than Cantarella are Funnel chantere, Procini, and Black Trumpets, which are the most common and can be collected until late autumn. The world's most expensive white truffle mushroom, which costs about 5 million won per kg, is sometimes found. The matsutake mushroom, the most preferred in Korea, also lives in some parts of Finland, but it is not very popular with Finns. Finns began paying attention to matsutake mushrooms when Japanese tourists traveling to Lapland, northern Finland, found matsutake mushrooms in the forest, and asked if they were real matsutake mushrooms. Since then, almost all of the collected matsutake mushrooms are exported to Japan.
The most popular mushroom dishes are mushroom salad and mushroom soup.
These two dishes are also my personal favorite Finnish cuisine.
Mushroom salad is always on the table for important events or parties (wedding receptions, funeral treats, Christmas treats, etc.).
It can be made from many different types of mushrooms, but the most used is the wolly milkcap, which is most commonly found in Finland.
These mushrooms have a strong pungent taste, so they are boiled for 10 minutes, then salted and stored for a long time.
Before making the salad, it is a good idea to soak it in water to remove some salt.
Finely chop the salted mushrooms and onions, then make a salad dressing and mix.
If you do not have salted mushrooms, boil dried or fresh mushrooms soaked in water for 2 minutes in salt water, then drain and use.
For dressing, mix a little bit of sugar and fresh cream (sometimes add half fresh cream or half sour cream) until foamy, then add vinegar, salt, and pepper to complete the dressing.
If the acidity is weak, you can add more vinegar.
Mix the mushrooms and onions in the dressing, then top with finely chopped parsley or green onion to complete the dish.
It tastes even better if you leave it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or more.
If you like a fresh taste, you can add apples along with onions.
Mushroom soup is also a favorite food of Koreans visiting Finland.
It has a mushroom flavor and is similar to the upgraded cream soup.
Traditional Finnish Mushroom Soup Recipe
<Ingredients>
250g (250ml) Mushroom Mushrooms
1 Onion (150g) 2Tbsp
Butter
75ml (4Tbsp) Flour 75ml (4Tbsp)
Milk 1ℓ
Pepper A little
Salt A little bit of
fresh cream 200ml
<Recipe>
1. Shred the mushrooms and onions .
2. Fry the onion over high heat in a pan with butter until translucent and soft.
3. Sprinkle the flour evenly over it and stir continuously.
4. Pour the milk slowly over it and keep stirring to mix well.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring the bottom occasionally.
6. Pour whipped cream and boil again for 5 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper, and top with chives or parsley (or other herbs such as tarragon and thyme) to finish.
Tip: When sautéing mushrooms and onions, it is important to sauté them on high heat as much as possible to remove moisture from the mushrooms and onions. You can get a different rich taste by mixing a little cream cheese with fresh cream.
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