Autumn means mushroom season in Andalucía's Los Alcornocales natural park

Los Alcornocales natural park in the Andalucía region in the south of Spain, the largest cork oak forest in Europe, is a paradise for mushroom lovers. The mycological association Mairei has catalogued almost 800 species of mushrooms present here. The mycological richness of this place is "impressive for its variety" as mushrooms that until recently were only found in the north of Spain have also been found here.

IMBA (Inventorio Micológico Básico de Andalucía) is a project that identifies and catalogues all fungi recorded in the region. Currently IMBA has registered more than 32,000 records on mycological species and has a representative sample of all species from all the key ecosystems in Andalucía. The mountain ranges of the Sierra de Cazorla and Sierra de Segura, alongside the natural parks of Las Villas, Los Alcornocales and the Sierra de Grazalema, among others, are some of the most outstanding destinations for mycology enthusiasts.

The love of mycology continues to gain fans in Cadiz and the Campo de Gibraltar and more and more restaurants are preparing dishes with this autumnal delicacy, which also has its place in family kitchens. Furthermore, mushrooms are not only to be enjoyed at the table as going out into the countryside and picking them is also a healthy and pleasurable activity.

Experts recommend foraging in November, after the first rains, a time when tasting sessions, excursions and mycological days are usually held in Los Alcornocales natural park.

Perhaps a note of caution here: the regional government's environment department calls for responsibility in the picking of mushrooms and appeals for amateurs to take care. Mushroom picking is limited to five kilos per person per day and always done only for personal consumption. 

In addition, it is important to remember that, when picking mushrooms, it is essential to use the right equipment to ensure effective and responsible picking. It is forbidden to use tools that could damage the mycelium (its root structure) such as rakes or hoes, as this could prevent the growth of new plants.

On the middle slopes of the entire Los Alcornocales natural park, the acid-rich earth is dominated by cork oaks, evergreen strawberry trees (arbutus unedo) and heathland, which produce a good yield of Caesar's mushrooms, crespas, porcini, different varieties of russulas and trumpets and so on. In this area you can find common species of mushrooms that are highly appreciated for their consumption, such as Lactarius deliciosus (saffron milk cap, also known as the red pine mushroom).

Below we list five of the most abundant and best specimens that are considered excellent for cooking. However, we also recommend consulting José Ramón Sogorb Castro's detailed guide Fungi of Los Alcornocales and Campo de Gibraltar Natural Park.

Description: Mushroom commonly known as Caesar's mushroom, king's egg or egg yolk. Amanita Caesarea has a cap measuring between 8 and 20 cm in diameter, orange, bright orange or very strong orange in colour, with a smooth and separable cuticle. In young specimens, the cap is hemispherical and flattens out as the sporocarp (the structure where the spores will be) develops. The gills are golden yellow, and the stem is the same colour, cylindrical, with a yellow ring on its upper third. The volva (cup-like structure at base of mushroom that is a remnant of the universal veil that covered the immature fruit) is large, white and membranous. The flesh is tender, white and yellow near the surface of the cap and the stem. Pleasant smell.v

Habitat: A sprouting fungus, usually found scattered about or in small groups in cork oak and mixed woodland of cork oak and pine trees. It has a preference for siliceous soils (silica and limestone) and cleared woodland and is mainly found under cork oak, holm oak, common oak, chestnut and occasionally conifers.

Abundance: Very frequent.

Edibility: Excellent.

Description: The saffron milk cap, one of the most appreciated and sought-after mushrooms by mycology lovers and unmistakable for the greenish tones of the gills, which are somewhat decurrent (running down the stem) and closed. Cap 5-15, cup-shaped, convex to extended and depressed, involute margin when young, concentrically zonate (concentric lines giving a sense of pattern or colour). Orange or carrot-coloured cap, same as the gills, stem, flesh and latex (the milky substance they exude when bruised, hence their common name of milk cap). Gills are orange, which take on greenish tones when cut. Short, cylindrical, white stem, with dark-orange pits or scrobicles, brittle, granular, cuts like chalk. Flesh has a granular texture, compact, thick but fragile, whitish towards the centre, when in contact with air it shows an unchanging orange colour. Emits a fruity smell reminiscent of carrots that turns sour with age. The flesh is orange on the cap and on the periphery of the stem.

Habitat: Sprouts up in quantity in pine forests.

Abundance: Very common and popular with collectors.

Edibility: Good.

Description: Chanterelles. Cap is 4 to 7 centimetres long, funnel-shaped, with rolled edge, irregularly lobed. Cuticle with a yellow-orange background but covered with an abundant white bloom that turns orange when rubbed. Hymenium (where gills or tubes are) is formed by folds, very decurrent, pale yellow. Stem up to 5 cm high, solid, cylindrical or thinned at the base, which turns yellow-orange when rubbed. Solid flesh, thinner at the edge, white-yellow. Very pleasant fruity smell, slightly spicy flavour.

Habitat: these bloom in dispersed clusters, sometimes in clumps or 'tufts' (cespitose), in cork oak and gall oak forests and mixed woodland of cork oak and pine.

Abundance: Very frequent.

Edibility: Excellent.

Description: Popularly known as the charcoal burner, it has a peculiar characteristic among russulas: its gills, soft and flexible to the touch, do not split. Its cap is hemispherical or even convex-flattened and slightly depressed, 5 to 15 cm in diameter. The cuticle is somewhat viscous when wet, radially fibrillose, of very variable colour (violet-purple or lilac, with ochre, grey, green or brown tones). The stem, 4 to 10 cm long and 1 to 4 cm thick, is cylindrical with an attenuated base, straight to slightly curved, longitudinally rough, white in colour, sometimes with a violet hue and with small ochre spots when ripe. The flesh is white. It has an insignificant odour.

Habitat : Found in close proximity to each other in cork oak and gall oak forests and in mixed woodland of cork oak and pine.

Abundance: Very frequent.

Edibility: Excellent.

Description: Commonly known as the dark cep, bronze bolete or queen bolete, this edible mushroom has a hemispherical to convex, extended cap, 6 to 20 cm in diameter. The cuticle is matte, slightly velvety to glabrous (smooth), cracked in dry weather, dark brown or blackish with bronze reflections, lighter with age or exposure to sunlight. The stem, 5 to 12 cm long and 4 to 8 cm thick, is obese to club-shaped or subcylindrical, ochre-brown in colour, decorated with a network of elongated meshes, whitish to concolorous (matches the main colour) on the upper part. The flesh is white. When cut, it is unchanged. Pleasant smell.

Habitat: It sprouts scattered around or in small groups in cork oak forests, gall oak forests and mixed forests of cork oak and pine.

Abundance: Very frequent.

Edibility: Excellent.

Mycology enthusiasts should be aware that the Amanitas family of fungi includes the most dangerous but at the same time some of the most delicious species, such as the Virosa (the English name is very apt: destroying angel) and the A. Verna (fool's mushroom or spring destroying angel) as well as the A. Pantherina (panther cap or false blusher) and Muscaria (fly agaric or fly amanita). Within this family we also have species of great gastronomic value such as A. Caesarea.

Amanita phalloides (death cap) is a common species in Los Alcornocales but deadly if ingested as its common name implies. When in doubt, always opt for prudence. It is always advisable to trust the guides of specialised associations and avoid the risk of being poisoned, even killed.

One of the most pressing concerns for the Junta de Andalucía is the irresponsible harvesting of mushrooms. While there are some highly valued edible species, such as those mentioned above, there are many others that, although they may seem harmless at first glance, can be highly toxic.

This is the case with the Amanita phalloides, one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world and responsible for most of the fatal poisonings related to mushroom consumption. Amanita phalloides can cause liver failure, while others, such as Rubroboletus satanas (Satan's bolete or the Devil's bolete) will cause severe gastrointestinal disorders.

Edible and toxic mushrooms often have morphological similarities, which increases the risk of confusion for those who do not have sufficient experience in mycology.

For example, the Agaricus campestris (field mushroom) can be confused with species of the genus Amanita when young, which underlines the importance of not picking mushrooms without a thorough knowledge of the subject.

For this reason, the Junta de Andalucía insists on the need to make use of experts or specialised guides when collecting mushrooms, as well as pushing for more activities on fungi-spotting rather than just foraging - look but don't pick.