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| Large mushroom exhibition |
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 Truffles are not profitable“It is harder to become a member of our association than a member of the Government in Serbia. We value expert knowledge and diligence, and our licence needs to be renewed every two years”, the President of the Association of Mushroom Growers of Serbia, Branislav Uzelac, says jokingly for CorD magazine. By: Milovan Miličković In mid-October the Association put together the Eight Mushroom Exhibition, which took place in Belgrade’s Dom Sindikata. Between 200 and 300 types of home-grown mushrooms were exhibited at this event, and Uzelac says that this figure was even higher last year. “In the last few years, due to climate change, the plant’s texture is changing, so some exotic Mediterranean plants have begun to spring up here in Serbia. Another problem is the law which allows for the free exploitation of mushrooms, with the only two kinds that are protected being the Caesar’s Mushroom and Morel, which are almost extinct.” The mushroom exhibition was assisted by the City Institute for Nature Protection, and this event enjoys the support of the city authorities year after year. Uzelac says that this is the biggest exhibition of its kind in the Balkans, and that exhibits like mushrooms on moss can rarely be seen anywhere else but here. One of the most interesting exhibits is the Death Cap, the most toxic mushroom to be found in Serbia, believed to be responsible for the vast majority of fatal mushroom poisonings. In addition to the Death Cap, there are a few other interesting mushrooms, while the visitors have always been drawn to the range of truffles, the most expensive mushroom in the world. 
Uzelac says that our soil is suitable for growing truffles, but not in
quantities that can be used for commercial purposes. “In Istria, for example,
close to 30 tons of truffles are produced each year, while in Serbia that
quantity amounts to around 50 kilograms. I saw some newspaper ads which
advertise selling truffles, but I would not advise anybody to buy them since
nobody knows where they originate from”, Uzelac says.In a good season, the most expensive truffles reach the price of €200 per kilogram, while in bad season, the price can go up to €2,000. “I think that growing truffles is not as profitable as everybody says. If somebody in Serbia wants to grow mushrooms, I would recommend a less expensive option, and that is to grow button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms or Shiitake”, Uzelac advises. The mushroom exhibition in Belgrade’s Dom Sindikata has become a traditional event and is a good opportunity for visitors to examine edible and toxic mushrooms. A truffle is the valuable and highly sought-after, edible fruiting body of a group of subterranean fungi. The ascoma (fruiting body) of truffles is highly prized as a food, their smell has been described as similar to deep-fried sunflower seeds or walnuts, although it has also been described as “a foul aroma.”Not all people are able to smell the odour of this fungus. People have noted that water in which truffles have been soaked in can taste similar to soy sauce. Brillat- Savarin called the truffle “the diamond of the kitchen” and praised its aphrodisiacal powers. While their aphrodisiac properties have not been proven as yet, truffles are nevertheless held in high esteem in French, northern Italian and Istrian cooking, as well as in international haute cuisine. Today, we know for sure that mushrooms have been a food to humans for over 2,000 years. There is written and material evidence from ancient times to support that, particularly from South America and China. At the same time, history tells us stories about mushroom poisonings and tragedies that ensued. Unfortunately, today, we also have to deal with unpleasant and even horrific consequences of an unguarded consumption of self-grown mushrooms. Edible mushrooms are certainly the food of the future! They contain very few calories, and are rich in vitamins, proteins and raw fibre. They also contain no useless ingredients and are very beneficial for people who are not very physically active. The key thing, however, is to know what, when, in which way and how often should we consume them. Some genera are toxic. The term ‘toxic’ has different meaning in various circumstances. Toxic mushrooms can serve as standard food for snails! The reason for this is a completely different physiology and anatomy of these two species. Toxins that attack blood, liver and kidneys have no effect on snails because these animals don’t have such tissues or organs! Also, some edible mushrooms contain dangerous toxins, but in such small dosages that we could poison ourselves only if we ate several hundred kilograms during one sitting. Hence, the mushrooms that we consider toxic are those that contain such concentration of toxins such as to cause negative symptoms after consumption of only a few hundred grams. It is a well-known fact that there are quite a few ingredients in mushrooms that are dangerous for human body. Contrary to an unwritten toxicology rule, when you are poisoned with mushrooms, the longer the time between eating a mushroom and feeling the first symptoms, the graver the danger for the person concerned. It is a good thing to be scared of toxic mushrooms, since fear leads to caution which can save your life. The most dangerous toxins to be wary of are those extracted from the Amanita species, which include the extremely poisonous Death Cap. 
Even the smallest of quantities of their toxins can have a fatal result. In
terms of chemical composition, they are similar to proteins found naturally in
humans. These toxins destroy the body’s ability to produce real proteins in
human cells. Since these proteins are essential to the life of any human being,
their destruction causes a terrible array of symptoms for the patient. The symptoms of mushroom poisoning are initially very similar to those of food poisoning: strong abdominal pain, vomiting and terrible diarrhoea. Since the symptoms of mushroom poisoning fade out after 24 hours, many people don’t seek medical help, thinking that they are getting better, but this is very dangerous. Usually, three days after eating a toxic mushroom, there is a frightening turn of events – the liver starts to fail (necrosis, or the death of tissue, develops), there is even more severe diarrhoea, cramps, delirium, kidney failure, followed by a coma and then, often, death. SUPERFOOD Edible mushrooms are certainly the food of the future! They contain very few calories, and are rich in vitamins, proteins and raw fibre. They also contain no useless ingredients and are very beneficial for people who are not very physically active. POISONING Contrary to an unwritten toxicology rule, when you are poisoned with mushrooms, the longer the time between eating a mushroom and feeling the first symptoms, the graver the danger for the person concerned. SYMPTOMS The symptoms of mushroom poisoning are initially very similar to those of food poisoning. Since the symptoms of mushroom poisoning fade out after 24 hours, many people don’t seek medical help, but this is very dangerous |