Last weekend, when walking down an unassuming backstreet in an east German town, I came across a man bent down behind a tarpaulin-covered table. While I cannot confirm whether an exchange of cash ensued, the incident made clear: after decades of fear that radioactive fallout from Chernobyl had made even edible wild mushrooms toxic, the seductive and illusive Waldpilz (wild mushroom) is back. Searching for wild mushrooms is now such a popular past-time in Germany that you are only allowed to pick them for personal use. Take the popular Butterpilz: a harmless enough name in German – but it is known as Slippery Jack in English for good reason. These ‘super heroes of the earth’ guard against both dementia and cancer while keeping mind and body sharp, German health bloggers insist.

Source: The Local September 07, 2021 12:56 UTC