Histoire du champignon

• Histoire du champignon:
Le champignon est à ce qu’il paraît le plus ancien héritage de notre alimentation. Un champignon semblable à celui que nous connaissons apparaît peint en 1450 av JC dans 'un tombeau de pharaon pour qui il était nourriture divine.
Pour les romains était un mets très prisé et ils le consommaient surtout comme condiment. C'était aussi une nourriture très recherchée au Moyen-Âge à la Renaissance.
• De l'idée à la culture du champignon:
L'homme a depuis toujours a voulu domestiquer le champignon. Les grecs et les romains savaient obtenir des pholiotes en recouvrant des souches de figuiers de fumier et autres fertiligènes. Depuis des millénaires, les chinois cultivent le Shii-také sur les souches de chêne.
Au XVIIème siècle, un jardinier de Louis XIV cultive l'agaric (le rosé des prés) en plein air, dans le potager royal de Versailles.
Au XVIIIème siècle, sous Napoléon Ier, l'agronome français Chambry, expérimente la culture des champignons dans les carrières abandonnées autour de Paris (les conditions hygrométriques y étant optimales). Le champignon de Paris est né.
(Information tirée de la page suivante
http://www.meilleurduchef.com/cgi/mdc/l/fr/apprendre/reportage/champignons.html)

Fairy ring mushroom

One of the first mushrooms to appear in spring, the fairy ring mushroom, Marasmius oreades tastes just as good as it looks. But beware, there is a poisonous look-alike, the Clitocybe dealbata, that grows in a very similar way in very similar sites. It is most important to learn to identify these two. There is very little similarity once they are full grown, but it is important no to make mistakes.

How to collect mushrooms

Very little equipment is needed for mushroom collecting. Tough outdoor clothes and a strong pair of boots are essential and you should make sure that your jacket or parka has a pocket large enough to carry a small field guide. It is not an exageration: some mushrooms are just to dangerous to take home. You may find a wide-brimmed hat useful to wear in the autumn, as the days shorten and the sun is low. It is easier to spot those intersting little humps and bumps that could well prove to be an exciting find if you are not having to shade your eyes with your hand all the time.
One or two baskets, are, of course, essential. They should be light, easy to carry and not to open in weave.
A sharp knife and brush are also important, the knife to cut the mushroom's stem through cleanly and the brush to remove obviosu dirt and debris such as pine needles and leaf mold. Cleaning your specimens as your pck them will mean there in less to do when you get home.

When to collect mushrooms

Most people associate mushrooms with the autumn, but in fact, they grow throughout the year.
The spring brings morels and the St George's mushroom Calocybe gambosa. The fairy ring mushroom, Marasmius oreades, also appears quite early in the year. The first of the summer mushrooms is usually the field mushroom, Agaricus campestris.
When winter takes hold, most people give up and just look forward to the next mushroom season. But don't be fooled: on mild winter days in more temperature zones, go out searching and you will be surprised at what you find