Those in search of mushrooms know how elusive they can be. No, we’re not talking about the psychedelic kind, but the kind that is wild, woody, and quite often tasty. As a nation with one of the richest biodiversity in the world, the Indonesian mycology scene is vast but largely understudied. Recently, a community of Indonesians who are enthusiastic about mushrooms are spreading its spores across the nation.
Fungi typically grows in dense forests; under rocks or over rotting logs, but it can appear in the most curious of places, even on a clump of wet laundry. In Indonesia, mushroom hunting mainly happens during the wet season between September through March, where humidity levels are high. The growth of these temperamental decomposers are triggered by a series of climatic factors, meaning it takes a lot more than proper humidity for them to thrive. Because they are short-lived, searching for wild mushrooms can be likened to a treasure hunt—which usually begins just before the sun rises. A late start and the insects and animals will beat you to it. While life cycle varies between species, most mushrooms, especially ones growing in high-traffic areas, have a very short lifespan. For Semarang-based educator and urban forager Ferry Agustinus, unpredictability is part of the chase. ‘I often hunt for mushrooms around my house. Initially I did not think they could grow in the city, but I’ve found a few [mushrooms] around my neighborhood, even the infamous termitomyces1.’
Most Indonesians’ knowledge of mushrooms is limited to commercially cultivated ones like button, oysters, or enokis. Academically, only a small fraction of mushrooms in Indonesia has been identified. It was this shortage in data that prompted Khalid Hafazallah to start the Indonesian Mushroom Hunters Community Facebook page with his lecturer during his time as an agroforestry student at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB). ‘There are lots we do not know about Indonesian mycology, so we hope to expand our shared resources through this group’, he explains. Now six years on, the group has over 34,000 members; many of whom had started foraging during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘It’s difficult to encounter mushrooms when you work 9 to 5, so the pandemic actually carved a space for this activity and its community’, Ferry, who is a moderator in the group, shares.
A little scrolling reveals the diversity of content and camaraderie of its members; from hobbyists to mycologists. One of them is Aisha Kusumasomantri, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political Science at University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) who rekindled her childhood interest in fungi. Now with a family of her own, she documents her excursions on her YouTube channel Woods After the Rain. Aisha sees the Indonesian Mushroom Hunters Community as an accompaniment to her foraging routine. ‘If in doubt, I can always ask the community to help identify [the type of mushroom]’, she says. When talking about foraging in terms of survival, mushrooms are usually the last resort because they have a lot of look-alikes. ‘There isn’t a sure-fire way of telling which is edible, so you have to put effort into learning about them’, according to Aisha.
The question of ‘is it edible?’ is frequently asked. To avoid the risk of misidentification and prevent poisoning accidents, the community has a collective record, and advises those starting out to be cautious. To date, they have identified 20 common types of wild mushrooms in Indonesia. ‘We’ve had cases where people accidentally eat poisonous mushrooms because they did not fact-check, so we highly encourage people to document and share their finds.’
For ones that are edible, seasoned foragers agree that the best way to bring out flavor is to lightly sautée in oil or butter. This is called a basic taste test. Scroll further down the Facebook page and you can find some tasty dishes cooked with foraged finds. Stir-fried, in soup, or with noodles, these are just some ways members of the community show off their culinary creativity. Personally, Aisha steers away from deep-frying her finds because it dampens the taste.
A crowd favorite is the termitomyces, which has a deep umami taste. The rarity of this mushroom along with the fact that no one has been able to commercially cultivate it gives the hunter an added satisfaction when they finally do encounter it. Along with mycologist Ivan Permana Putra, Ferry has even gone on to write a journal on titled ‘Termitomyces di Kawasan Urban Kecamatan Gunungpati, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah (Termitomyces of the Urban Area of Gunungpati Subdistrict, Semarang City, Central Java)’.
It may seem daunting to people without a biology background, but self-taught foragers simply credit time as an essential tool of the trade. The pandemic has shifted our interaction with the natural environment and as more urban dwellers look towards outdoor experiences that engage and nurture the senses, it is likely that mushroom hunting is here to stay.
A Brief Guide to Wild Mushrooms
Fungi typically grows in dense forests; under rocks or over rotting logs, but it can appear in the most curious of places, even on a clump of wet laundry. In Indonesia, mushroom hunting mainly happens during the wet season between September through March, where humidity levels are high. The growth of these temperamental decomposers are triggered by a series of climatic factors, meaning it takes a lot more than proper humidity for them to thrive. Because they are short-lived, searching for wild mushrooms can be likened to a treasure hunt—which usually begins just before the sun rises. A late start and the insects and animals will beat you to it. While life cycle varies between species, most mushrooms, especially ones growing in high-traffic areas, have a very short lifespan. For Semarang-based educator and urban forager Ferry Agustinus, unpredictability is part of the chase. ‘I often hunt for mushrooms around my house. Initially I did not think they could grow in the city, but I’ve found a few [mushrooms] around my neighborhood, even the infamous termitomyces1.’
Most Indonesians’ knowledge of mushrooms is limited to commercially cultivated ones like button, oysters, or enokis. Academically, only a small fraction of mushrooms in Indonesia has been identified. It was this shortage in data that prompted Khalid Hafazallah to start the Indonesian Mushroom Hunters Community Facebook page with his lecturer during his time as an agroforestry student at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB). ‘There are lots we do not know about Indonesian mycology, so we hope to expand our shared resources through this group’, he explains. Now six years on, the group has over 34,000 members; many of whom had started foraging during the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘It’s difficult to encounter mushrooms when you work 9 to 5, so the pandemic actually carved a space for this activity and its community’, Ferry, who is a moderator in the group, shares.
A little scrolling reveals the diversity of content and camaraderie of its members; from hobbyists to mycologists. One of them is Aisha Kusumasomantri, a lecturer at the School of Social and Political Science at University of Indonesia (FISIP UI) who rekindled her childhood interest in fungi. Now with a family of her own, she documents her excursions on her YouTube channel Woods After the Rain. Aisha sees the Indonesian Mushroom Hunters Community as an accompaniment to her foraging routine. ‘If in doubt, I can always ask the community to help identify [the type of mushroom]’, she says. When talking about foraging in terms of survival, mushrooms are usually the last resort because they have a lot of look-alikes. ‘There isn’t a sure-fire way of telling which is edible, so you have to put effort into learning about them’, according to Aisha.
The question of ‘is it edible?’ is frequently asked. To avoid the risk of misidentification and prevent poisoning accidents, the community has a collective record, and advises those starting out to be cautious. To date, they have identified 20 common types of wild mushrooms in Indonesia. ‘We’ve had cases where people accidentally eat poisonous mushrooms because they did not fact-check, so we highly encourage people to document and share their finds.’
For ones that are edible, seasoned foragers agree that the best way to bring out flavor is to lightly sautée in oil or butter. This is called a basic taste test. Scroll further down the Facebook page and you can find some tasty dishes cooked with foraged finds. Stir-fried, in soup, or with noodles, these are just some ways members of the community show off their culinary creativity. Personally, Aisha steers away from deep-frying her finds because it dampens the taste.
A crowd favorite is the termitomyces, which has a deep umami taste. The rarity of this mushroom along with the fact that no one has been able to commercially cultivate it gives the hunter an added satisfaction when they finally do encounter it. Along with mycologist Ivan Permana Putra, Ferry has even gone on to write a journal on titled ‘Termitomyces di Kawasan Urban Kecamatan Gunungpati, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah (Termitomyces of the Urban Area of Gunungpati Subdistrict, Semarang City, Central Java)’.
It may seem daunting to people without a biology background, but self-taught foragers simply credit time as an essential tool of the trade. The pandemic has shifted our interaction with the natural environment and as more urban dwellers look towards outdoor experiences that engage and nurture the senses, it is likely that mushroom hunting is here to stay.
A Brief Guide to Wild Mushrooms
- Mushrooms are likely to be found growing in mountains and forests. In cities, look for pockets of green that are less likely to be polluted (e.g. gardens and parks).
- Use a small knife to pick out mushrooms and a brush to dust off dirt. Bring some gloves and sanitiser to keep hands clean.
- Poison can’t be measured by shape or taste. Look for common traits of edible mushrooms; soft, jelly-like textures are usually low-risk.
- Collect mushrooms in a basket or container with gaps, to allow the spores to fall on to the ground and encourage re-growth. Keep different types of mushrooms apart to avoid cross contamination in case one is found to be inedible.
- Be mindful by taking just enough. Try to not take more than 300 grams at a time.
- Afterwards, you might also want to make a spore print. Cut the stalk off a freshly picked mushroom and place the gill side down on a sheet of dark and white paper. Cover with a glass or bowl and leave for a few hours. If spores are brown, avoid eating them.
- Rinse with water before cooking and consuming to get rid of dirt or possible animal excretes that it might have come in contact with.
FOOTNOTES
1. Termitomyces is a genus of edible mushrooms commonly found in Asia and Africa that grow in symbiosis with termites, well-known for their nutritional and medicinal value as well as great taste.
1. Termitomyces is a genus of edible mushrooms commonly found in Asia and Africa that grow in symbiosis with termites, well-known for their nutritional and medicinal value as well as great taste.