When the rain comes, in autumn, Catalan forests are filled with mushrooms and boletaires (in Catalan, those people who look for mushrooms). Catalonia has a deeply rooted tradition, in which the boletaires walk, search and collect the valued mushrooms, both for their own use, to give away or to sell them.
The Catalans eat mushrooms, know several ways to cook them, they distinguish and collect them. This boletaire phenomenon, which is growing year by year, has caused a major economic boost, whether in the proliferation of restaurants, rural cottages or mushrooms fairs and markets.
Many species of mushrooms are edible, and traditionally used in Catalan cuisine. In fact, mushrooms are essential ingredients in many Catalan dishes. However, many other species are poisonous and can cause serious injuries or even death. Other, were traditionally used for medicinal or therapeutic purposes. There are also mushrooms with psychotropic properties. It is likely that the Catalan set phrase “tocat del bolet” (touched by the mushroom), meaning someone behaves in an unusual manner, was born from a situation where someone tasted and was influenced by any of these mushrooms with hallucinogenic properties.
Photograph: www.gencat.cat