One of the pleasures of autumn in Menorca is one of its best-kept secrets, which is jealously hidden in the woods, in the ‘tanques’, the ravines. It is an occasional delight, an intermittent secret and a gift of nature that is not always as generous as one would like it to be. We are talking about wild mushrooms.
The wild mushroom tradition on the island is one of the most curious. There are quite a lot of experts and many fans, although you would not know it, as they share with each other the desire to preserve the corners where it is possible to find delicious saffron milk caps, milk-white brittle gills, grey knights, Scotch bonnets, aniseed toadstools or amethyst deceivers.
It is no easy task, especially for beginners, however much you check the specialised guidebooks. Looking for wild mushrooms requires calm, patience and a very sharp eye, and in Menorca one also has to respect traditions. One such custom is “el rotge de Sa Madona”, which means the space reserved in each “lloc” or farm, for the farmhands who work there, to collect the wild mushrooms.
Joining in with this tradition, not exclusive to the island, is easier if you go accompanied by a local or another major aid is contacting the “Dr.Saurina” Mycological Circle of Menorca, a non-profit association founded in 2012 with the aim of collecting, channelling and promoting interest in wild mushrooms.
