These past few weeks I've been exploring ancient Coihue forests, searching. Like these mushrooms, foraging is a very nourishing activity; it forces us to slow down, sharpen our eyesight (some say our sense of smell too), and listen to our instincts . It requires time, and a lot of patience.
Morchella is a fungus that grows in association with the roots of trees of the Nothofagus genus , and here in the region it can be found alongside Coihue and Lenga trees. What you see in the photo accompanying this email is the "fruit" of the Morchella mycelium, or its reproductive part. It is highly prized by food lovers and quite difficult to find.
I don't know if I've failed to find it because the fruiting window is too short or because I simply don't see it. It's probably more the latter. And there's something magical about that; I like to think that the fungus doesn't want to show itself to me precisely so that I'll return to the forest more often.
Anyway, no matter how much I searched in the forest, I didn't find it, but it did appear in my path, in another way . Andrea, a friend who lives on the banks of the Puelo River, came to drop off a good supply of morel mushrooms collected by families in the Cochamó Valley so we could take them to their tables.
There's a long process of searching, caring, drying, and cleaning involved in each of these mushrooms. Believe me, they're worth it; the flavor and texture they bring to a good pasta is unmatched.
I confess I'm excited to include Morchellas in your orders, see you on the delivery!
José Tomás de Vecinos.
🍄🟫 Morels, from the field to your table
