Mad about mushrooms

At this time of year the days become shorter, the temperatures begin to fall and it's usually a good idea to keep an umbrella to hand. Yet, autumn also opens up new possibilities for getting out and about, if you are a lover of the open air, and new opportunities in gastronomy, if you are a food lover.

Wild mushrooms take centre stage in autumn, when Catalonia's damp woodlands produce a dizzying range of what the Catalans simply refer to as bolets. Hunting for wild mushrooms, or shrooming, is an activity that continues to grow in popularity every year. Bolets are these days the subject of TV programmes, magazines and fairs, one of the main reasons for an excursion into the countryside and, for a while at least, they are the star of kitchens in homes and restaurants all over the country.

Even for those who do not fancy tramping around the woods with a basket, the world of bolets is accessible to everyone. One of the best ways is to visit one of the many fairs devoted to the edible fungi that are held in towns everywhere throughout the autumn. In October alone, there are wild mushroom fair in Seva, Vilada, Arbúcies, Sant Iscle de Vallalta, Cardona and Castellterçol, among others, with more to come in November.

So, whether its in the woods, at a fair or market, or in the comfort of a restaurant, now is the perfect time to get involved in the world of bolets!