Edible mushrooms in Uruguay: past, present and future

Abstract

This article presents an overview of edible mushrooms in Uruguay and their level of study based on the review of the generated bibliography and the ethnographic analysis of recent reality. The first systematic approaches were given at the beginning of the 20th century from the work of Florentino Felippone and Wilhelm Franz Herter. In 1934, Rodolfo Tálice published his first book on the subject, which had several editions until the 1980s. Only in 2005 were the publications on the subject resumed, and from 2013 with the work of Alejandro Sequeira the fungi groceries returned to the scene in bookstores for the general public. In the last decade, there has been a growing social and cultural interest in edible mushrooms, leading to an increase in mushroom disclosure, collecting, identification, and cooking. Species of wild mushrooms from genera not previously considered in Uruguayan cuisine, such as Calvatia, Coprinus, Rhizopogon, Cyclocybe, Laetiporus, Clitocybe, Laccaria and Lentinus, have been rediscovered. Thanks to this new boost in interest in wild mushrooms, a wide range of activities began to be carried out, such as "micosenderos", cooking and cultivation workshops, and others, and has promoted the emergence of mushroom cultivation ventures of various species. On the other hand, the collection of typical species such as Lactarius deliciosus and Gymnopilus junonius associated with Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus spp. plantations has existed in the country for at least a hundred years. In the last three decades this activity has occurred continuously during the season. This article seeks to describe and contextualize this current scenario and carry out an analysis of its potential in terms of ecological sustainability and food sovereignty for the near future.