NZ native oyster mushrooms (pleurotus pulmonarius) Photo: Matariki Mushrooms
Aotearoa is home to delicious and nutritious native mushrooms that many Kiwis aren't aware of, says Valetta Sówka of Matariki Mushrooms.
She and her husband Mihau own the Motueka-based family business, currently producing pekepeke-kiore – regarded as an NZ version of the medicinal mushroom Lion's Mane – and native oyster mushrooms.
Even though a lot of New Zealanders grow up unaware of our country's edible native mushrooms, Sówka says, early Māori made use of them.
"I'm Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Te Arawa and our tupuna knew which mushrooms were edible and which weren't. I guess we kind of lost connection with that. after colonisation when we began eating a more Western diet and that knowledge didn't get passed down through many whanau."
Family of Forest and Fungi: He Tukutuku Toiora by Valetta Sówka Photo: Matariki Mushrooms
To introduce the wonder of native mushrooms to children, Valetta recently wrote the book Family of Forest and Fungi: He Tukutuku Toiora.
In te reo Māori, 'He Tukutuku Toioria' means an interwoven web of life or wellbeing, she says, and funghi are a good metaphor for this concept.
"It's really cool to be part of this reawakening of the connection to our edible funghi in New Zealand."
Although Matariki Mushrooms offers several oyster mushroom recipes on their website, Valetta says her favourite way to eat mushrooms is in a simple quiche.
"They're also really delicious just basically cooked with a bit of salt and in butter or oil if you're vegan."
As a child in Poland, Valetta's husband Mihau was taught to forage for edible mushrooms from a very young age, learning the sometimes very subtle differences between those that are and aren't safe to eat.
"He's a really good forager and he's like the mushroom expert in our family. He says sometimes the differences can be the difference between a pink line around the gills or a yellow line and it's very, very hard to recognise."
Motueka mushroom growers Mihau and Valetta Sówka with their children Photo: Matariki Mushrooms
To anyone interested in foraging mushrooms, Valetta recommends the book Fungi of Aotearoa by Christchurch forager Liv Sisson.
On Monday 23 October, she and Liv will speak at the Moutere Hills Community Centre for the Nelson Arts Festival event Foraging Your Way to Wellness.
Valetta says her favourite mushrooms for wellness are Turkey Tail and pekepeke-kiore, or Lion's Mane.
"If you feel a cold coming on or you start to feel quite low, making a tea from Turkey Tail will really boost your immune system and help you feel really good and fight off those illnesses," she says.
When Mihau had Bell's palsy – unexplained facial paralysis – a couple of years ago, he found that taking pharmaceutical products was ineffective but Lion's Mane helped.
"Lion's Mane is a really good mushroom for neural connection and nerve healing. He took that and within a few days, his Bell's palsy had cleared. "
Related:
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