

Mushrooms & Fungi


While the forests around Zonca and Valle Antrona are teeming with mushrooms from the end of September onward, gathering is officially subject to restrictions and a license is required. This may sound ridiculous until you realise that the forestry department now falls under the police department in Italy so that people gathering mushrooms without a permit could literaly be arrested. The chances of coming accross a patrol in the forrest might be minimal but keep any finds out of sight when you are in villages.


In addition, please consider that the evidence for fungi playing a crucial role in forest health is mounting and that overharvesting, especially truffels, may actually be harming trees.


Wild mushrooms reputedly have the benefit of being good, non-animal sources of Vitamin D due to their exposure to sunlight. This is apparently not true of cultivated mushrooms that are grown in the dark.

Growing edible mushrooms may however be one way in which food production can be boosted while also producing enough to sell. Italians love mushrooms and despite the fact they can also be found in the woods, however having a continuous and reliable source seems relatively easy.


Gourmet Svampe can be found on Facebook. They are a Danish company offering a variety of mushroom spoors.

Gourmet Svampe