Mushrooms grow during a full moon: In conversation with professional mushroom forager Lukáš Vrána
How many varieties of mushrooms do you pick?
There are 57 species of mushrooms permitted to be sold in the Czech Republic, and I sell 25–30 of them. Mostly boletes and chanterelles, but I also pick russulas, milk caps, lactarius, parasol mushrooms, and morels. I’m not yet familiar with russulas, but I’m already planning to forage for them as well.
Do you have a favourite mushroom?
I like all mushrooms. It’s important to know what each one is best suited for. For example, firmer mushrooms like chanterelles are great in sauces, for stir-fries, I think a mix is best, porcini mushrooms go well in soups, and parasol mushrooms are excellent just roasted on their own. But if I had to choose just one, it would probably be the pink fly agaric, also known as the “meat mushroom.” Strangely enough, it’s not allowed to be sold here because it’s supposedly confusable with the tiger toadstool. I find that incomprehensible; in my opinion, it has several distinguishing features that make confusion impossible. So I pick it, at least for myself.
According to some, mushrooms are affected by the moon phases. What do you think about that?
I believe it, even though I’ve read studies that refute it. I’ve been observing this for many years, and it holds true. For example, I collected mushrooms for six weeks in one spot and saw it with my own eyes. I think mushrooms start to grow during the new moon and reach their peak during the full moon.
When you come back from the woods and close your eyes, do you see mushrooms?
I used to experience that for the first two years, but fortunately not anymore. To this day, I remember picking “štročky” — mushrooms that look like trumpets — and then seeing trumpets all night long. I have to say, I’m glad that doesn’t happen to me anymore.
How do you find your “spots”?
When I go into the woods for the first time, I search around, and I’ll admit that this is the part I enjoy the most. As I go, I rule out spots where there’s nothing, while also memorising the spots where I’ve found something. Next time, I go straight to the spot where I found mushrooms and search there thoroughly.
Is it possible to pick a forest clean?
I don’t think so. Even if you follow right behind me, you’ll still find mushrooms—you just have to look in a different spot, from a different angle. When I find a mushroom, I stop, walk around, crouch down, and there’s a very good chance I’ll find more and more in the immediate vicinity. That’s the best part of the game: there could be thirty foragers in a forest, and each would find one mushroom, but I'll be there with twenty kilos because I know how to go about it.
