Mushrooming

I recently started volunteering that the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle here in Raleigh.  I really like it because 1) it gives me something worthwhile to do and 2) it allows me to interact with people and thus, improve my social skills (which always need improving).  When I got there this week everybody was going to lunch so I tagged along.  Rather than waste gas and take 2 cars, the 9 of us piled into someone's jeep and rode to the hamburger truck (like an ice cream truck, but they sell hamburgers) on NC State Campus.  But that's not what I wanted to write about.

MUSHROOMING is what I want to write about.  In the car one the girls started talking about mushrooms and how she goes mushtrooming.  What is mushrooming?  Let me tell you.

Mushrooming is the act of hunting and gathering mushrooms mainly for eating.  It is commonly done in Europe (except England), the baltic, slavic and nordic countries; Japan, Canada and Korea; and the northwestern and Appalachian regions of the United States.

There is, of course, a certain risk involved in this since many varieties of mushrooms are poisonous when consumed.  Luckily there are mushroom guides that tell you what you can and can't eat.  Not only that, but there are also Mushroom Clubs!

Apparently this is a pretty big deal for some people. There are even mushroom festivals.  Check it out.  Very interesting!