Enoki One

This mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) grows all over Europe, on dead or even living trees, after the first frosts. In german it is known as "Gemeiner Samtfussrübling" or "Velvet Stem" in english. A different species of the same genus (Flammulina filiformis) is cultivated in east asia and known in japanese cuisine as "enokitake".

I absolutely love this mushroom. It's my favorite of all the mushrooms I have foraged myself so far. The bright and shining yellow. The velvety stems. The tufted growth. The fact they will often grow through the snow and are frost-resistent. The texture and taste. Delicious!

Mushrooms are an often ignored and underappreciated, but absolutely vital part of the ecosystem. I hope people will learn more about them and take better care of them, because without them, life as we know it will cease to exist.

Found and photographed in Switzerland, The Valais, October 2020.

My first contribution to the tezos4Nature event.