THE a®iaeTIMES Letters to the Editor Fungi foraging October 6 2014 Mushroom hunting should be a joy — but Britons need to be educated about the dangers, a top chef writes Sir, The British may know their onions but they definitely don't know their mushrooms. I have lived here for 40 years but have only ever read about the negative side of mushroom collecting, never the pleasure these jewels of nature bring (“Mushroom poisoning cases soar as clueless foodies answer call of wild”, News, Oct 3). For 26 years I prepared wild mushrooms and truffles in my Neal Street restaurant, which was the mecca of this delicacy. Britain needs its schools, nature trusts, television companies and other establishments to bring clarity and expertise to the subject. Fungi, by their very nature, are one of the most important elements in the ecological chain — without them life literally would be impossible. Why cannot Britain educate its population — as the rest of the world does — so that they can enjoy “the quiet hunt”, as Mikhail Gorbachev calls it? Antonio Carluceio London Swi October 6 2014 Sir, There is no doubt that mushroom hunting should be a joy (letter, Oct 6) but the rise of the gastro pub eager to provide wild delicacies does little to help. The chef will have engaged the services of a fungi forager who will guard the patch that produces the best porcini or chicken of the woods. Woe betide a casual forager seeking “the quiet hunt” when they stumble across the professional's cache of chanterelle, The observation by Mr Carluccio that they are “one of the most important elements within the ecological chain” should make us eave them well alone and get on with farming a more diverse array of fungi. Rob Yorke Abergavenny, Monmouthshire July 28 2015 Sir, With the wild mushroom season approaching, instead of being joyful about the arrival of the new porcini, ‘we are alerted to problems (Celebrity foragers ‘strip forest of fungi’, July 25). As someone who has enjoyed foraging since I was a child, I don’t understand why Britain is the only country in Europe not to provide citizens with balanced information about what Gorbachev calls “the quiet hunt”, the legitimate pursuit of going into the woods for edible fungi. Certainly it needs a code of conduct to make sure no damage is done and when there are excesses, which there are, they ought to be punishable as in France and Italy. The disappearance of some mushrooms, poisonous included, is, however, due to environmental factors such as pollution and not over-picking. There are more than 200,000 known species of fungi. Let's continue an ancient pleasure and enjoy some of them. Antonio Carluccio London SWi8 uy 31 2015 Sir, Antonio Carluccio asserts that pollution is causing the demise of woodland fungi (letter, July 28). More accurately, in line with the Independent Panel on Forestry’s report in 2012, he could also have lamented the lack of new conifer forestry planting and the under-management of existing deciduous woodland — both crucial habitats required for the joyful “quiet hunt’. Rob Yorke AbergavennyMay 42016 Sir, Further to your report “Forests plundered in dawn fungi raids” (Apr 27), the right to collect something from nature is common in all countries with mushrooms — with the exception of England. In most European countries mushrooms have always been collected, and commercially within set boundaries, without problem. Ifoverpicking was the reason for a reduction in growth, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria and Switzerland would be completely bare of mushrooms, but mushrooms grow abundantly in the same spots every year, to the benefit of animals and humans alike. ‘The biggest danger to fungi is pollution. This has immeasurable and unknown consequences: witness the “super” porcino, 100 times the normal size, collected near Chernobyl. The authorities have a point, though, when mentioning “groups of immigrants” collecting fungi purely to sell. It is only a question of education: the subject should be covered in biology lessons at school, and the importance of safely and sustainably collecting this wonderful jewel of nature should be emphasised. ‘That way one part of everyone's life could be much nicer. Antonio Carluceio London SWi8 May 52016 MONSTER Beiisit MUSHROOM Sir, The “super-sized” porcino mentioned by Antonio Carluccio and found near Chemobyl (letter, May 4) attained its large size not due to radiation pollution but because it had not been disturbed by humans. ‘Nature does rather well when humans are excluded, Rob Yorke Abergavenny, Monmouthshire Dear Mr Carluccio ‘Thank you for your email. Perhaps I should buy a larger fishing rod. Yours ete Ps love your book and am delighted to be surrounded by delicious mushrooms here inthe people-free Black “Mountains in South Wales. Rob Yorke FRICS Dear Mr Yorke |'was surprised at your comment in The Times lettets today. I don’t understand on what belief itis based. fit was only due to the fact that the mushroom had not been touched, we would surely encounter from time to ‘ime in the country alittle monster that nobody has touched, but | dan’ believe thet has ever been the case. ‘The picture ofthe mushroom in question, which | attach, had been taken some years ago, 40 kms from ‘Chernobyl by a Ukranian farmer who, unfortunately, is no longer with us. The picture was passed onto me by @ {fellow mycologist in Hungary. | hope that the picture shows thatthe size cannot possibly be just because it was leftaiong to grow. Incidentally, the radiation hada similar effect on fish Yours Comm Antonio Carluccio OBE