The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-06
THE DELIGHTFUL MUSHROOM.
A Common But Very Dainty Growth
of Mothr Earth.

A Common But Very Dainty Growth
of Mothr Earth.
In view fthe fact that fungi forms
very considerable bulk anon gfood
stuffs in southern Europe so much dis
cussion as to their digestibIity seems
unwarranted. The poor of France, Ger
many and Italy eat large per cent of
them. They are not eaten by this class
as luxury as with US but take the place
of meat among working classes. The
yearly profit from the sale of mushrooms
| in the Roman markets amounts to s4000
| There are two very evident reasons why
the mushroom does not always agree
| with US, aside from the fact that the
common mushroom may, under certain
| conditions, prove very irritating in some
| individual cases. In the first instance
we do not understand. as does the hum
blest peasant of Europe. that the mush-
room cannot be eaten too fresh, as they
decompose so easily, and while apparent
~ in good condition. they are past the
stage when they may be eaten without
risk. The peasant eats the mushroom
raw as well as cooked. Dries them, pre-
serves them in brine, oil or vinegar,
which takes away the acrid qualities Of
some of the suspicious varieties. But by
whatever method they are prepared for
the table they must be fresh grown and
| fresh gathered.
Complaints of the indigestibility of
mushrooms are made by people unac-
| customed and unfamiliar with their use
and chemical properties, and instead of
serving them as they should be. in place
of other heterogeneous food, they are eaten
as accomplishments to these. and the sys-
TEN is overwhelmed with more than it
can assimilate. In America mushrooms
are still luxuries which are enjoyed al
most exclusively by the weather. classes,
! not because the soil does not produce
these readily and without cultivation, for
| bushels of them waste on farms unno-
ticed every year. but because so little IS
generally known Of them, while the fear
of dreaded consequence is so strong the
public regards them ali with suspicion
and only the brave or those much
learned in fungi lore are able to fully
enjoy these delicious foodstuffs. If the
public had but a rudimentsry knowledge
of the nature of the foods they eat, they
would know that they daily run greater
with their health in eating meats posi-
bly, and most probably im2regnated with
disease germs; fruits and vegetables,
either canned or fresh, which may not
be At for food; milk. in which may Turk
danger and as certain death as is in pos
sible poisonous fungi. they would realize
how very unreasonable is the universal
fear that deprives them of the enjoyment
of one of our choicest natural foods.
Poisonous fungi are comparatively few;
but as they closely resemble the edible
forms, the distinction must be known in
order to avoid mistakes. The poisonous
varieties may generally be recognized by
their high color. their scaly or spotted
surface and tough or watery flesh; they
usually have an offensive odor; grow in
clusters in wet or shady ground; and
yield a pungent milk. Their taste is bit
ter and burning to the throat and as
they dry they become blush. AS the
poisonous matter in them belongs to the
class of narcOtico-irritants, cases of mush-
room poisoning are best treated by the
immediate and free use of emetics and
castor-oil.
The Edible Fungi.
spotted and their gills never perfectly
white, but usually OF a yellow. pinkinsh
red or brown. They are brittle when
broken. retain color when dried and
should be gathered. when not cultivated,
from open, dry pasture. They grow best
in "old pasture" Their smell and taste
are most agreeable and in such species
which have any acrid taste this objec-
tionable quality may be dissipated by
cooking. The mushroom is one of three
food stuffs which possess the principle cf
sapidity in the highest culinary and gus
tatcry sense. This principle is an aka
loid or series Of alkaloids practically
known as osmazOne Meat and cheese
are the other two foods which haev this
same highly developed principle The
browning OF these three materials devel- /
ops this part to a greater degree. hence |
when dried brown in fat the flavor is
noticeably richer While the cultivated /
mushroom may be eaten with greater I
confidence. those grown in the open air l
are much finer favored
Different analyses. so widely at var- /
ance, one with the other, may well shake |
the confidence Of those who do not do 1
their own thinking and thereby draw 1
their own conclusions. Let each one try /
for himself. substituting some Of the l
many delightful mushroom preparations 4
for the usual meat dishes and note il /
they are not quite as satisfying in /
every way. especially for hot weather
food.
The edible fungi are usually classified |
as mushrooms. morels and truffies. Al
though but comparatively few Of the
former varieties are used as food more
than thousand are known TO exist.
The common mushroom should be eaten
at but two stages Of its growth. one when
Il IS small and white; IN this stage il
is called the button The other when
IL has just expanded and the spore-bear-
ing ridges form a rosy lining 70 the ex-
banded umbrella They should be eaten
before the spores turn blae. otherwise
they are over-ripe. They should be plump. |