The other day I was walking in a park here and right on m path I saw 5 or 7 different mushrooms, of course nobody would think go "mushroom hunting" here, so these creatures (scientists argue that it's something in the middle of animals and plants) are allowed to grow freely.
That wouldn't happen in Russia - mushrooms have a big part in Russian culture, that is they hunt for mushrooms, cook them and eat and from time to time get sick :).
Every part of this (except for getting sick) is like a poem.
I'm talking about wild mushrooms - cep (or better white mushroom (белый гриб) how it's called in Russian, saffron milk cap (рыжик), chanterelle (лисичка), agaric honey (опята), russule (сыроежка) and so on. The mushroom you know it's champignon and it doesn't deserve a poem, it has no aroma, no character, no taste.
Picking up mushrooms is called "hunting". Families or friends get together and go hiking for the whole day. The prize is - the biggest white mushroom, which is supposed to be the best (it has more proteins than meat), or just any biggest mushroom. It is really captivating, as sometimes it's not that easy to notice a mushroom somewhere under leaves. But what a joy to run against a place where mushrooms sprang around within last several days (they grow VERY fast), then you will be done for the day!
They boil, fry, dry, salt, marinate mushrooms. There is a mushroom soup, a mushroom pie, fried mushrooms, marinated mushrooms and so on.
So, when you are in Russia go to mushroom hunting with your Russian friends, it will be an experience for you :).
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