It's wild mushroom season again, every day W and MIL bring baskets of the beautiful little treasures into the house, clean them up, and then cook them into the most godawful soups (curries?). Don't get me wrong, I eat the stuff, but it seems like a waste .

Last season I took some of the ones that looked like large oyster mushrooms (het nah khao, white face mushrooms), coated them with olive oil, a little salt and pepper, a few minutes on the charcoal turtle. And Voila!......... tasteless. The next day I had to stay close to the toilet and had to drink lots of water to keep up with the outflow. It's very possible the mushrooms and diarrhea were not even related but I have been reluctant to experiment with them since

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I would love to hear from people who have been successful with Thai wild mushrooms and Western recipes.

Although a big fan of Antonio Carluccio wild mushrooms cooking show, I've never pick any wild mushrooms to eat in my life. Particulary I think the similar looking mushrooms in different part of the world can be very different things and even dangerous. I just stick to the mushrooms sold by Doi Kham Royal project and pretend they are wild.

You are certainly very brave eating wild mushrooms although many would be,no doubt, delicious and safe but apparently quite a few Thais die each year eating the wrong mushrooms and these are often country folk who have grown up eating wild mushrooms and some of them should have had the inherited knowledge handed down to them like they have of herbal remedies.I doubt the hospitals or authorities even document the cause of death and identify the mushroom that did it.

You are very brave indeed. I guess the locals are advising you what it good to eat & what to avoid ? In terms of recipes I love wild mushroom pate.

I've done this one and it is yum yum

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/580419

I've also done 1/2 chicken liver pate & 1/2 mushroom pate.

If OP riceyumm is ethnic Italian, maybe he knows his stuff to some extent, but really, you've got to be extremely careful. I've never heard of anything that looks like oyster mushrooms that gives you the runs, but remember, you're in a completely different part of the world than you grew up. Don't mess with what you don't know . . . many Lao immigrants to the US have died mistaking Amanita Phalloides (commonly known as "death caps") for the straw mushrooms they picked back home. They look almost exactly the same. I was actually hesitant to eat fresh straw mushrooms when I moved to Thailand because I was used to the other. There are mushrooms you can be absolutely certain of, and I collect those and no others. Go to experts, go to books. The old saying goes that there are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but no old bold ones.

If OP riceyumm is ethnic Italian, maybe he knows his stuff to some extent, but really, you've got to be extremely careful. I've never heard of anything that looks like oyster mushrooms that gives you the runs, but remember, you're in a completely different part of the world than you grew up. Don't mess with what you don't know . . . many Lao immigrants to the US have died mistaking Amanita Phalloides (commonly known as "death caps") for the straw mushrooms they picked back home. They look almost exactly the same. I was actually hesitant to eat fresh straw mushrooms when I moved to Thailand because I was used to the other. There are mushrooms you can be absolutely certain of, and I collect those and no others. Go to experts, go to books. The old saying goes that there are old mushroom hunters and bold mushroom hunters, but no old bold ones.

Thanks for all the replies. I leave the mushroom picking to the wife and Mother-In-Law. They only pick three types that they know well. The ones that look like oyster mushrooms probably aren't but they look similar, I'll get the name and translate it to English. My case of the "runs" probably had nothing to do with the mushrooms, I've eaten lots of that type in Thai style recipes with no ill effects other than a bad taste in my mouth.

I'm familiar with the problem of S.E. Asian immigrants picking the wrong mushrooms in the U.S., seems every year there was a problem.

Every year after the first rains, the wife and a lot of neighbors invade the pastures and forests around and gather mushrooms and altho the wife doesn't eat them, she will often make a couple of hundred thb in trade at the local noodle shop. I used to be brave [reckless] and go for the many wild ones that you see in local markets that are gathered by hill tribe ladies, but after hearing about some poisoning, I only eat the ones in the superstores now.

The only person I would encourage to eat wild mushrooms in Thailand is the Mother-In-Law.

All mushrooms are potentially poisoning for uman liver, some in a light way, some in a strong one.

Also edible mushrooms have to be eaten carefully, however are usually hard to digest and it's better do not exagerate.

A lot of mushrooms are poisoning if eaten raw, but become edible once cooked, do this just if expert.

This is because a good part of this kind of poisons are thermolabile.

Here in Europe we have a few very dangerous, a couple of them can kill a man in 24/336 hours (yes, 14 days...) destroyng the liver and the kidneys.

Unfortunately this kind of poison make very deep damage and usually when you understand it's already too late.

Amanita Phalloide, Amanita Muscaria, Amaniya Verna, Amanita Virosa are all deadly.

Amanitas are dangerous because very easy to be confused with very good and popular other mushrooms.

Another one often confused with the good ones is the Entoloma Sinuatum, someone say that cooked loose the poison, but a lot of people died however.

Another one very dangerous is the Cortinarius Orellanus, very easy to be confused with a popular one. This is the one who destroy the kidneys, in 1/14 days after be used.

Of the same group the Cortinarius Semisanguineus, more dangerous because confused for its red color with another very popular one, as the other is deadly and don't leave any escape.

Last one, the most dangerous, is the Cortinarius Speciosissimus, who attack liver and kidney togheter. Also a few grams are enough to kill a man.

In north europe they use often to eat the Gyromitra Esculenta (looks like Morchellas)... easy to found also in the fresh markets and canned. This mushroom is very dangerous because poisoning if raw, and still toxic if cooked. But it's still on the market, also if the Law ask to write on label that it is potentyally dangerous also after cooked (after a number of people died).

A lot of dangerous mushrooms looks and smell like the good ones...

So, be carefull, and just eat what really you know.

Also consider that a poisoning one who stay in the basket with the good one can poison the others with spores...

Just pick up what you know, leaving on the ground the others.

Porcini for ever!!!

All mushrooms are potentially poisoning for uman liver, some in a light way, some in a strong one.

Also edible mushrooms have to be eaten carefully, however are usually hard to digest and it's better do not exagerate.

A lot of mushrooms are poisoning if eaten raw, but become edible once cooked, do this just if expert.

This is because a good part of this kind of poisons are thermolabile.

Here in Europe we have a few very dangerous, a couple of them can kill a man in 24/336 hours (yes, 14 days...) destroyng the liver and the kidneys.

Unfortunately this kind of poison make very deep damage and usually when you understand it's already too late.

Amanita Phalloide, Amanita Muscaria, Amaniya Verna, Amanita Virosa are all deadly.

Amanitas are dangerous because very easy to be confused with very good and popular other mushrooms.

Another one often confused with the good ones is the Entoloma Sinuatum, someone say that cooked loose the poison, but a lot of people died however.

Another one very dangerous is the Cortinarius Orellanus, very easy to be confused with a popular one. This is the one who destroy the kidneys, in 1/14 days after be used.

Of the same group the Cortinarius Semisanguineus, more dangerous because confused for its red color with another very popular one, as the other is deadly and don't leave any escape.

Last one, the most dangerous, is the Cortinarius Speciosissimus, who attack liver and kidney togheter. Also a few grams are enough to kill a man.

In north europe they use often to eat the Gyromitra Esculenta (looks like Morchellas)... easy to found also in the fresh markets and canned. This mushroom is very dangerous because poisoning if raw, and still toxic if cooked. But it's still on the market, also if the Law ask to write on label that it is potentyally dangerous also after cooked (after a number of people died).

A lot of dangerous mushrooms looks and smell like the good ones...

So, be carefull, and just eat what really you know.

Also consider that a poisoning one who stay in the basket with the good one can poison the others with spores...

Just pick up what you know, leaving on the ground the others.

Porcini for ever!!!

I think I'll just swear off mushrooms! Or just eat farm raised.Thanks for the good info.

The only person I would encourage to eat wild mushrooms in Thailand is the Mother-In-Law.

Very funny! I still get along with MIL but I'll store that for future reference if the situation changes.

I think I'll just swear off mushrooms! Or just eat farm raised.Thanks for the good info.

Was not my intention to make anyone scared about wild mushrooms or to suggest to skip eating...

I love wild mushrooms, are fantastic in a lot of ways, dried into a meat sauce, fresh and raw in a salad, grilled, fried, braised... with eggs,pastas, rice, meat...

Just eat what you really know, or coming from a people you can trust, or from the market (here have to be certificated from the Health Office who check them one by one).

The word "wild" just to make the difference between the cultivated and the others,

no contest...

Wild for ever