Zimbabwe's rainy season brings a bonanza of wild mushrooms, which many rural families feast upon and sell to boost their incomes.
But the bounty also comes with danger as each year there are reports of people dying after eating poisonous fungi. Discerning between safe and toxic mushrooms has evolved into an inter-generational transfer of indigenous knowledge from mothers to daughters. Rich in protein, antioxidants and fibre, wild mushrooms are a revered delicacy and income earner in Zimbabwe, where food and formal jobs are scarce for many.
Police routinely warn people of the hazards of consuming wild mushrooms. In January, three girls in one family died after eating poisonous wild mushrooms. Such reports filter through each season. A few years ago 10 family members died after consuming poisonous mushrooms."She will kill people, and the business, if she gets it wrong," said Waisoni, who says she started picking wild mushrooms as a young girl.
They distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones by breaking and detecting "milk-like liquid oozing out," and by scrutinizing the colour beneath and the top of the mushrooms, he said. They also look for good collection points such as anthills, the areas near certain types of indigenous trees and decomposing baobab trees, he said.
So mushroom season is important for the families. On average, each family made just over US$100 a month from selling wild mushrooms, in addition to relying on the fungi for their own household food consumption, according to the research. Waisoni, the Harare trader, says the wild mushrooms have helped her put children through school and also weather the harsh economic conditions that have battered Zimbabwe for the past two decades.
المملكة العربية السعودية أحدث الأخبار, المملكة العربية السعودية عناوين
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