THE MUSHROOMS OF PELION




Are you a fun of mushrooms?

Pelion is rich in mushrooms and I love picking them . There are the edible mushrooms and the poisonous ones. I have come across some poisonous all these years of hunting them and funnily enough the latter are the most beautiful! Have you noticed?

Autumn is the best season for picking and tasting them –the first come out with the first autumn rains. Young, fresh mushrooms can be discovered only when the forest soil is soaked due to humidity. Now where to find them?

They are hidden under the fallen leaves. I know this 'mushroom hunt' is done also in Grevena as well and I want to consider visiting one of the two destinations with the coming of the first rains.

Personally I don’t know names but I guess I know how to tell the poisonous ones. Of course I am not trying any if I am not assured from people who really know how to pick them. Otherwise I can enjoy the hunt only which is just as interesting as eating them.

Some of the names of the most popular ones are the Vasiles, Gourgoulianes, Zourlomanitara, Kalogerakia. I know I have a spoon dessert (glyko koutaliou) in the fridge but I forgot the name of the exact mushrooms in there. It was given to me in a small jar as a gift when the person we visited found out how much I love them. I can also remember another name that is of "Neratzakia". The pictures I attach are photos taken with my previous camera years back at a mushroom hunt at the National Park forest in the northern part of Pindos . I was not that lucky that day anyway, but I enjoyed a lot the hunting itself.

I want so much to return to the AMANITA in autumn and together with other guests experience a mushroom tasting weekend. I am told that travelers have the chance to initiate to the secrets of the mountain mushrooms and enjoy the serenity of the place, relax and have fun. For years the owner of the Amanita has proved that he is an expert in doing this, -I already know that he is an excellent host and through all these years of hunting mushrooms himself I consider him an excellent guide.

During the thematic mushroom tasting weekends guests have the chance to learn about the various mushroom varieties and live an experience that will be remembered. After the mushroom picking which I consider thrilling, the fun extends to cooking and tasting them. This step of cooking is just as interesting isn’t it?

Imagine sitting around the fireplace with friends, talking about the day’s excursion, tasting the different mushrooms and drinking wine or raki.

Just the thought of it makes me want to make an early booking and return to the AMANITA.