Mushrooms in the garden and in the forest are often difficult to identify as edible mushrooms or toadstools, even by connoisseurs. The problem lies in the fact that many poisonous mushrooms look similar to edible specimens.

Edible mushrooms are often only non-toxic when cooked or fried

When raw, many edible mushrooms contain haemolysins and other substances which are toxic to humans and which are broken down when heated. When cooked, they are a treat for the palate, raw but difficult to digest or even deadly. In addition, the tolerance of mushrooms sometimes also depends on a person's physical conditions. Even overindulging in raw or cooked mushrooms can be troubling for one mushroom lover, while others have no problem. This indigestibility is due to the fact that mushrooms are mainly made of chitin rather than cellulose.

The most famous and dangerous mushrooms

Among the thousands of mushroom species worldwide, there is a large proportion of poisonous specimens. Therefore, only absolute mushroom connoisseurs should consume collected mushrooms. If you are unsure, be sure to get help from an expert to identify your finds. The best-known toadstools in this country are the following types of mushrooms:

  • Green death cap mushroom
  • White death cap mushroom
  • Poison Hound
  • Pointy-humped roughneck
  • Orange fox roughneck
  • toadstool
  • panther mushroom
  • Satan Boletus
  • spitbird

The dangerous resemblance

Poisonous mushrooms such as the fly agaric are often already known to children and, like poisonous bushes in the woods and fields, do not pose a great danger. On the other hand, poisonous mushroom varieties, which look deceptively similar to tasty edible mushrooms, are far more dangerous. The common bile boletus, for example, is one of the dangerous doubles of the porcini mushrooms. The death cap mushroom is said to be responsible for up to ninety percent of all fatal mushroom poisoning in Central Europe, as it bears a special resemblance to common mushrooms.

Protect and preserve poisonous mushrooms

Even if poisonous mushrooms generally pose a danger to inexperienced mushroom pickers, they also fulfill a function in a healthy ecosystem. Specimens that are poisonous to humans, such as the fly agaric, are inedible for mushroom pickers, but are an important food source for various forest dwellers and insects during the respective season. Therefore, consciously leave poisonous discoveries where you are when collecting mushrooms and do not crush them.

tips and tricks

As a beginner mushroom picker, you shouldn't just rely on an identification book. In order to dispel any doubts about the edibility of mushrooms, you can take a walk in the woods with regional mushroom connoisseurs to train your own eyes accordingly.

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Vegetable garden