Грибы Hunting

To follow up on our fascinating mushroom discussion of several weeks ago, I've listed several of the most common "грубы" that one might run across while mushroom-hunting at the дача. Russian children know how to tell the difference at a very early age. They might not know the alphabet song, but by golly they know their fungus!!

The etymology of mushroom names is actually quite interesting because it usually points to either the location of the mushroom's growth or its appearance. For example, the word for birch tree is берёза. A подберёзовик is the mushroom which "lives under the birch." The puff-ball mushroom, which tends to grow right after rainfall, is called дождевик from the word for rain, дождь. Get the idea?

Дедушкин табак ----------------grandfather's tobacco

Боровик (бор) ----------------------------pine forest

Лисичка (лиса)--------------------------fox

Сморчок (сморщимься)-------------------to wrinkle
*this mushroom (the morel) is actually the most expensive in the world!

Бледная поганка (поганка)------------PAGAN MUSHROOM!!!

DO NOT EAT!!!

Interestingly, all poisonous mushrooms are called поганки, meaning pagans.

Godless mushrooms = bad for you!!