Travellive 7 - 2018

they know wild berries quite well. My
father in law told me that the Nordic
children may know of the wild berries
and mushrooms in the forest even
before they know how to read.
Mushroom picking
pleasure
Speaking of wild mushrooms,
picking them is another favorite
hobby of cold country people, which
to me personally is a bit ... risky. It is
risky because there are a myriad of
mushrooms that grow after the late
summer-early autumn forest rains,
of which only about a dozen can
guarantee you still... live... after eating.
Mushroom picking is one of the
Nordic pleasures in the cold country.
Around the beginning of August,
when the blazing summer has begun
to give way to showers, signaling the
coming of fall, is when Norway moves
from berry season to mushroom
harvesting season.
Yellow mushrooms, once picked,
should be brushed off with the
mushroom-knife to clean dust, do not
wash with water as it will remove the
mushroom's nutrients and sweetness.
Wild forest
mushrooms, once
picked from the
earth, should
be processed
immediately in
order to fully enjoy
their nutrients and
the excellent taste
of the Northern
wilderness.
Place a pan over heat, add a bit of
butter, then add the mushrooms and
remember not to stir too much so that
the water pulls from the mushrooms,
then cook down the extracted water
to condense the mushroom taste,
sprinkle with salt and pepper and
serve alongside Swedish meatballs,
reindeer steak with potatoes and stewed
vegetables. Here you have a delicious
dinner after a fun day in the forest.
In addition to yellow mushrooms, the
Norwegian forest also has many other
edible mushrooms such as bread
mushrooms (shaped like a small
loaf of bread), matblekk mushrooms
that look look like rainbow termites,
black chanterelle, which at first glance
appears frightening because of its
dark color but the taste is deep and
sweet, golden trumpet mushroom,
tongue mushroom...
Only those who are lucky enough to
live in the suburbs close to nature, or
know someone who often harvests
mushrooms, have the opportunity
to enjoy these treats. Wild forest
mushrooms, once picked from
the earth, should be processed
immediately in order to fully enjoy
their nutrients and the excellent
taste of the Northern wilderness. As
the saying goes, "playing is also an
elaborate art," and even those who
have money don't always get the
chance to fully enjoy these "delicious
autumn pieces"!
The summer - autumn season of
Northern Europe passes quickly,
just after a few months; people say
goodbye to the golden sunshine,
berries and radiant forest flowers. But
sadness does not last for long because
with fall comes the endless autumn
rain, and if you did not prepare tools
to pick the forest mushrooms, you
can always sit lazily in the house and
gaze out the veranda, leisurely take
sips of aromatic coffee and enjoy
freshly baked blueberry muffins,
fragrantly packed with the whole
summer inside.
More information
‣ Forests in Northern European
countries do not have snakes, leeches,
poisonous spiders or other dangerous
insects, but there are quite a lot of big
mosquitoes. Therefore, if you intend
to go to the forest, you should bring
mosquito repellent and cream to
apply on mosquito bites.
‣ Some poisonous berries have very
attractive colors and aromas, and even
look similar to edible berries. If you do
not know it, you should not take a risk
to pick it.
‣ If you intend to pick mushrooms,
you must have great knowledge of the
edible and poisonous mushrooms of
the forest, or you can take mushroom
picking tours with local guides who
are mushroom savvy. You should
absolutely not pick mushrooms that
you do not know, or are uncertain
about their shape or color... During
mushroom season, there are usually
checkpoints at the edge of the
forest to inspect the safety of picked
mushrooms. However, unfortunate
accidents still happen every year.
‣ Summer is often drizzly in Northern
Europe. You should bring a raincoat, a
waterproof and windproof jacket, rain
boots and dry socks to change into
when your shoes get wet.
‣ Summer temperature in Northern
Europe is about 20-25 o C, but the
temperature in the forest is lower.
When choosing jackets, do not
choose bright colors such as red,
orange, yellow... These colors can
cause wild deer or other large animals
to be excited and cause serious injury
to people.
‣ When picking berries or wild
mushrooms in the forest, people
often pick just enough to eat, leaving
enough for others. You should heed
this notion, and avoid picking more
than necessary.
‣ According to the Norwegian law
of Allemannsretten, people have
the right to visit, camp and harvest
the produce from the forest and
other public spaces (sea, lake, river,
stream...). You can camp in Norway
without any problems.
‣ Norway, and other Nordic
countries, have dense forests which
are typically not too far from city
centers. Based on where you are,
you can ask locals for the nearest
forest as well as the ideal time for
picking different types of berries and
mushrooms.
‣ In autumn there are mushroom
picking and forest visitation courses
that provide useful tips. You can find
more information at the city's tourist
center.
‣ If you are interested in professional
forest hiking, you can refer to trekking
maps, rest stations and for suitable
journeys check the Den Norske
Touristforening website - a
reputable organization specializing in
Norwegian treks.
TRAVELLIVE 127