Healthful ingredients in Czech cuisine – mushrooms. Since the Middle Ages, people have used them both as food and as medicine.

There's a group of foods that are characteristic of Czech cuisine, almost as much as the proverbial pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut, and it undoubtedly helps to improve the reputation of Czech cuisine as a healthy cuisine full of hearty dishes, after which people not only gain weight. We are talking about mushrooms. Of course, they are not only used in the Czech Republic; we find them in all Central European cuisines, and their collection improves the taste of food and the mood and fitness of people from all neighboring countries – the further east, the more important mushrooms are.

Anglo-Saxon culture considers mushrooms and their collection to be so exotic that they can only imagine them as medicines (usually from the aforementioned Far East) or as eccentric flavorings like truffles. It's a shame. In countries where mushrooms are commonly collected, they are a popular delicacy, a traditional ingredient in festive and everyday dishes, and for years they have been used as a basic ingredient in the food of the poor. Why? Well, it's quite clear: because they grow freely in nature, and all you need to enjoy them is to go outside and spend some time searching for and collecting them. It's helpful to have your favorite spots where you can be sure to find something, but at certain times of the year, with good weather, it's almost impossible to come home empty-handed.

You've probably also noticed how traditional rural dishes of the poor have been transformed into sought-after delicacies in modern cuisine. No wonder. Take, for example, a mushroom cube. Groats, lard, onion, mushrooms. And of course, plenty of fragrant spices. The lard can be replaced with any other fat if necessary. You can serve it on Christmas Eve, as was the tradition in some regions. Or enjoy it whenever you want, just dry or preserve enough mushrooms collected during free time or during your vacation.

Mushrooms are a special group of foods. They don't belong to the plant or animal kingdom. Plants produce their own food through photosynthesis, while mushrooms need ready-made organic substances, just like animals. The Czech mycologist Jan Borovička jokingly says that mushrooms are our cousins. They have been consumed since time immemorial. They are popular for their appearance and taste, and for many years they have also been used as a seasoning. For example, dried beech mushrooms, which you would otherwise throw away, can be ground and used as a homemade spice. Or chanterelles, which can be dried and crushed to replace pepper.

But mushrooms add more than just appearance, color, taste, and texture to dishes. In fact, they also have surprisingly high nutritional values. The good news is that they are low in calories but contain a lot of water (80 to 90%) and fiber (up to 27%). So, we can feel full with mushrooms, but they help us maintain a healthy weight. At the same time, they are said to be "heavy" and lie in the stomach, meaning that our body digests them for a long time, but that's why they give us a feeling of fullness for a long time. Their digestibility is unfortunately worsened by both types of the most popular preparations, namely with fat, eggs, or cream. And so, even with mushrooms, everything in moderation and using common sense applies. A normal serving is usually considered to be 10 to 20 grams of fresh mushrooms per person for lunch, and less for dinner.

Mushrooms are not very rich in fat, and what's important is that 72% of them belong to the so-called unsaturated fatty acids, which are considered harmless to health. In addition to proteins and carbohydrates, they contain several vitamins, mainly group B, and even vitamin C. Among the minerals, potassium is usually mentioned, which helps to lower blood pressure, as well as phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and some trace elements. All mushrooms are an excellent source of antioxidants, which help prevent the formation of tumors and macular degeneration, a feared vision impairment, especially in older people. Thanks to the appropriate ratio of nutrients, they strengthen metabolic functions. Due to their low sugar content, mushrooms are recommended in diabetic diets and have a beneficial effect on the psyche – they help, for example, with depression and migraines. Their ability to provide better mental resilience and increase overall well-being is also appreciated.

Unfortunately, mushrooms have a bad reputation due to their ability to accumulate heavy metals and radioactivity under certain conditions. So, definitely don't collect them in places where the environment seems insufficiently clean. A separate chapter is poisonous mushrooms, and some people may also experience allergies to mushrooms. In addition, certain types of mushrooms should not be combined with alcohol. The good news for us is that heat treatment significantly reduces the content of substances that could harm us.

Mushrooms are also not recommended for young children, according to some sources, up to three to six years of age, and for older people. Unprocessed mushrooms should be stored in the lower part of the refrigerator, where the temperature is +3°C. If you suspect mushroom poisoning, it is best to induce vomiting, eat activated charcoal, and drink as much liquid as possible – definitely not alcohol, and preferably not even milk. It is best to see a doctor and bring a sample of the mushrooms you ate. Buy mushrooms only from trusted sources. You can always contact various mycological advisory services and clubs with your finds.

It is not recommended to wash mushrooms before cooking, as they would absorb too much water. It is enough to scrape off the dirt with a knife or brush, or wipe them with a kitchen towel. Some sources recommend soaking mushrooms in milk to prevent them from absorbing too much fat. Only about 10 species of mushrooms can be eaten raw, for example, some chanterelles. Mushrooms should be thoroughly cooked. The minimum cooking time is 15 minutes. Certain mushrooms, such as chanterelles and saffron milk caps, need 25 to 30 minutes, while oyster mushrooms need an hour or more. Every cook knows that mushrooms can turn an ordinary dish into a real gastronomic experience, and the possibilities for using them are endless. No wonder that recipes for dishes with mushrooms are often considered a family treasure.

And so that we always have them on hand, we must know how to store them properly. Probably the most common way to preserve mushrooms is by drying. Chanterelles and, according to some sources, also milk caps are not suitable for drying. Only completely healthy and un-wormy mushrooms are dried, which are cut into slices 3-4 mm thick. The drying temperature should not exceed 50°C, so as not to destroy their active ingredients. Before storing dried mushrooms, they must be completely dry, they must break and make a rustling sound, like dry leaves. Place a few bay leaves in the jar in which you store the mushrooms. Mushrooms can also be dried in salt and processed into a powder in a mixer or mortar, which is added in small amounts (about 1 teaspoon per pot) to soups, stews, or sauces.

Other classic preservation methods include pickling – in a sweet and sour brine, vinegar, salt, or canning in their own juice. Another method is preserving in fat, with a ratio of fat to mushrooms of 1:2. Mushrooms, especially chanterelles, can also be preserved by lactic fermentation. In modern cuisine, it is also possible to freeze mushrooms, as quickly as possible after collection and at least 5 minutes after being sautéed. Before preparation, they are not thawed, but added directly to the cooking.

At the Academy of Nutritional Medicine, we offer a weekend seminar where we focus on the use of so-called medicinal mushrooms in cooking, as well as the production of extracts, decoctions, and ointments. We believe that the best home pharmacy is in the kitchen or pantry, and the best medicine is the food we consume. Our lecturers will practically show you tips and tricks from the traditional Chinese, but also European, medicine, which they studied and have been using for forty years or more. We are truly pleased that mushrooms are enjoying increased interest among both the general public and experts in recent years. That new companies are emerging to cultivate and process medicinal mushrooms known from Eastern traditions, but also more common mushrooms that are used in cooking, which are more accessible to people from big cities or those who are simply not attracted to collecting in the forests. So that everyone can enjoy the great taste of mushrooms and their medicinal effects.

Mushrooms have been used as medicine since ancient times. The ancient Egyptians considered them sacred and believed that they prolonged life. In Chinese medicine, mushrooms are ranked among the most valuable remedies. They are especially valued for their ability to "cleanse" the liver and kidneys, but they are also considered a means of ensuring longevity and well-being. You could read more about two "queens" among Chinese medicinal mushrooms – reishi and cha zhou – in the Sphere last year in an article by Šárka Erb Škachová. These are choros mushrooms or so-called tree mushrooms, to which we also include our native birch polypore, which was mentioned in the same article. The Chinese caterpillar fungus is famous for its ability to improve physical performance. And among the top medicinal mushrooms are also the edible shiitake and maitake, and among those that grow in our country, there are coral and the oyster mushroom mentioned in the same article.

Modern research has shown the positive effects of mushrooms on our immune system, mainly the immunomodulatory effects, which means that they help to suppress excessive allergic reactions and stimulate the immune system. At the same time, they strengthen our mental balance, the ability to cope with stress, physical exertion, and mental performance, because the immune system largely influences the psyche. The scientifically proven effects against tumors, various civilization diseases, such as viral infections (but also HIV), cancer, and cardiovascular diseases are also important. They regulate high blood pressure, cholesterol, and due to their antioxidant activity, they also act against aging. Their ability to support brain health, cognitive functions, improve memory, and concentration is important. They exhibit antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties, making them a suitable alternative to commonly used, but problematic, corticosteroids. In Japan, some mushroom components are used to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in cancer treatment. They have the ability to lower blood sugar levels, have hepatoprotective effects, and generally strengthen the body.

However, most of the wild mushrooms that grow in our country also have medicinal properties. The most famous of these are the wood-decaying mushrooms Boltcovitka and the Judas ear, which are said to have the ability to relieve pain, and the less common Penizovka sametonohá is similar. In the kitchen, it can be added to soups and stews. The oyster mushroom: chicken with oyster mushroom is a real delicacy, and an interesting fact is that it is also used as a remedy for AIDS. The violet chanterelle, a very common forest mushroom, is recommended for diabetics, the cep mushroom for candidiasis and stomach problems, the curly tooth for wound healing, and the common puffball for tumors. Some sources also mention, for example, the chanterelle – a chicken with an effect against depression. An interesting fact among domestic mushrooms is the porcelain snail, from which the original Czech antibiotic mucidermin was isolated. With mushrooms, everyone can find something for themselves, in the kitchen, in tablets, or in the forest.

In addition, mushroom picking has other advantages. A person exercises in the fresh air, so they do something for their fitness and at the same time improve their mood thanks to the endorphins released. It gives a feeling of belonging or belonging to a group, which is painfully lacking today, whether it is one's own family or an online mushroom community. Food from nature has a higher nutritional value than what you buy in a supermarket, and at the same time, you take responsibility for your own health, but also for the health of the forest and, consequently, the planet. Collecting mushrooms can be an adventure, overcoming your own limits, a constant learning process, and discovering the beauty and diversity of life.

Eva Leňová

The article was published with the kind permission of the magazine Sféra.

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