The Cultural Use of Mushrooms

Abstract

Far from being among the hottest scientific topics and a cultural hype, mushrooms have a long history of cultural uses. Food and medicinal uses are the best known and most recorded ones. Who feasted on mushroom-loaded extravagant banquets? Which species are considered among the tastiest? Which ancient texts spoke about mushroom medicine? What is the future of medicinal mushroom use, and how has the recent pandemic affected the mushroom food and medicine markets? With this emerging interest, mushroom's significance is being examined as a part of ancient (shamanism) and even the most recent religions (such as psychedelic Judaism), art, fashion (natural dyes and mycelium-based fabrics; cottagecore and goblincore), beliefs (folktales and fairy rings), superstition, and language (ab) use. This chapter also explores the economic uses, from species supporting the development of the rural communities to those causing mushroom wars. The authors also cover the emerging field of quantitative ethnomycology.