Chapters 8.3
8.3-Cottonwood mushrooms(Tricholoma populinum)
Ilana Wolters, University of Guelph, Canada
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Suggested citation for this chapter.
Wolters,I. (2022) Mushrooms And Fungi. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/
Introduction
The cottonwood mushroom (Tricholoma populinum) is a very special organism used by the four Interior Salish Indigenous groups of British Columbia. Cottonwood mushrooms are non-poisonous, and they are a widely eaten food through the four Interior Salish Groups. The mushrooms also function like salt and can be used to make other foods more flavourful. The water the mushrooms produce is said to be beneficial to infants (Turner et al., 1987). The cottonwood mushroom was a very well-known food in Indigenous communities and still is today.
Description Of Species
Cottonwood mushrooms are medium-sized mushrooms with a flattened to rounded cap (Turner et al. 1987). They have light brown on the outer edges of the top cap, and dark red/brown in the centre of the cap (Turner et al., 1987). The top cap of the mushroom is around 7-12cm wide (Turner et al., 1987). The outer layer of the mushroom is easily peeled off, and the inner flesh is a pale-yellow colour (Turner et al., 1987). The mushrooms have brown gills that are notched near the 4-7cm tall stem of the mushroom (Turner et al., 1987). The gills on the mushrooms are thin structures under the cap of the mushroom that produce spores. These spores are dropped by the gills and scattered by the wind (Identify Mushrooms: Learn About Gills, Pores, and Teeth, 2022). The odour of the mushroom is a sharp but pleasant scent (Turner et al., 1987). It grows alone or in clusters and can be found between September and October in sandy areas in North America and Europe (Turner et al., 1987). Cottonwood mushrooms grow under poplars (trees and shrubs of sorts) and black cottonwood trees; they are usually hidden by sand and leaves (Turner et al., 1987). It is difficult to identify all different mushroom species because of the growth rate and where they appear after the different seasons. Many mushrooms that are like the cottonwood mushroom are poisonous and identifying them can be an issue (Turner et al., 1987). The Matsutake mushrooms and pine mushrooms are very similar to cottonwood mushrooms, however, they are not poisonous. Matsutake mushrooms are similar in the way they grow and how they are cooked. Both fungi are wild, edible mushrooms found in sandy soils near water sources (Yang et al., 2009). Matsutake mushrooms are wild mushrooms found in the Pacific Northwest near trees, like cottonwood mushrooms (Yang et al., 2009). These mushrooms mainly grow during the fall months; however, growth yield is difficult to estimate because mushroom abundance differs from year to year (Alexander et al., 2002).
Association With Indigenous Peoples And Their History
The four Interior Salish groups all speak different languages. The Lillooet speak the Fraser River dialect, the Okanagan speak Colville, and the Shuswap speak central western and eastern (Turner et al 1987). They all have separate backgrounds and languages, but they enjoy the same types of cultural foods. The cottonwood mushroom is a favoured food source and still is in the Interior Salish Indian groups of British Columbia (Turner et al., 1987). They were usually eaten cooked but can be eaten raw (Turner et al., 1987). Cottonwood mushrooms are also used for ‘salt’ as they have a specific flavour and could be added to other things like deer meat or stew. The juice from these mushrooms was also used to wash infants as it was believed it gave them strength (Turner et al., 1987). The cottonwood mushroom is often found in areas with sandy areas and water sources (Turner et al., 1987). The Interior Salish groups have good access to these mushrooms because they are located near the coast and water sources of BC (Peters, 2021). Figure 2 below shows a map of the interior Salish communities in British Columbia.
Geographic Origins
Cottonwood mushrooms are found under leaves and sand in areas around the lakeshores and rivers of British Columbia (Turner et al., 1987). They can be found in the interior parts of BC around deciduous trees near water sources (Turner et al., 1987). Some examples of water sources where these mushrooms could be found are Crown Lake (near Pavilion Lake), or any other sandy, damp areas by water sources (Turner et al., 1987).
Consumption
All four of the interior Salish groups of British Columbia (Nlaka’pamux, Lillooet, Shuswap, and Okanagan) used to consume cottonwood mushrooms and still do today (Turner et al. 1987). The mushrooms are found on sandy lake shores and along rivers. The mushrooms are looked over, and if they are firm enough, the stems are cut off and they are cleaned (Turner et al., 1987). Due to the mushrooms growing in clusters, roughly 1kg can be collected in an hour (Turner et al., 1987). Once the brown skin is peeled off the cap, the sand is scraped off and the mushrooms are washed (Turner et al., 1987). These mushrooms can be eaten raw or cooked. The stems and caps are usually separated, and the mushrooms are fried until brown (Turner et al., 1987). There are also more traditional ways that they used to be eaten. The mushrooms were cut into pieces, strung up and left to dry; which makes them storable for longer time periods (Turner et al., 1987). If one wished to eat the dried mushrooms, they were soaked in water overnight and boiled or fried for soup (Turner et al., 1987). Nowadays, it is more common for cottonwood mushrooms to be canned or frozen than they are sauteed (Turner et al., 1987). They were widely consumed years ago and are still consumed today (Turner et al., 1987). Many types of mushrooms that look like cottonwood mushrooms are poisonous, however, these mushrooms are safe to consume (Turner et al., 1987).
Benefits To Humans
Mushrooms usually have a high moisture content and fewer nutrition factors; however, the cottonwood mushroom has amino acids that humans need in their diets (Turner et al., 1987). Most of the nutrient levels vary apart from different mushroom and fungi species, but most mushrooms have similar nutrition contents to cottonwood mushrooms. They consist of calcium, iron, zinc, folic acid, vitamin C and amino acids (Leichter and Bandoni, 1980). Most of these nutrients are present in good amounts in mushrooms grown in British Columbia, like cottonwood mushrooms. Wild mushrooms also have a high protein and low-fat content, which makes them good food with low calories (Barros et al., 2007). Mushrooms are also a functional food for antioxidants, and they can even help with diseases in the human body (Barros et al., 2007). Mushrooms have many benefits to humans in terms of health and therefore cottonwood mushrooms are still so important in indigenous communities.
Limitations
Cottonwood mushrooms are wild plants, making them hard to find and farm. They are difficult to cultivate because they are often hidden with sand and leaves (Turner et al., 1987). Cottonwood mushrooms are harvested for around 1 month, during the heavy rains of fall between September to October (Turner et al., 1987).
References
1.Alexander, S. J., Weber, N. S., & Brown, E. (2002). Mushrooms, Trees and Money : Value Estimates of Commercial Mushrooms and Timber in the Pacific Northwest. Springer. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-002-2610-1.pdf
2.Barros, L., Baptista, P., & Correia, D. M. (2007). Effects of Conservation Treatment and Cooking on the Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Portuguese Wild Edible Mushrooms. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf070407o
3.British Columbia Map & Satellite Image | Roads, Lakes, Rivers, Cities. (2010). Geology.com. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://geology.com/canada/british-columbia.shtml
4.Fischer, D. W., & Bessette, A. E. (2019). Edible Wild Mushrooms of North America. De Gruyter. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7560/720794-005/html
5.Identify Mushrooms: Learn About Gills, Pores, and Teeth. (2022). Mushroom Appreciation. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.mushroom-appreciation.com/identify-mushrooms.html
6.Leichter, J., & Bandoni, R.J. (1980). Nutrition Content of Mushrooms Grown in British Columbia. Science Direct. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0315546380733503
7.Peters, H. (2021, June 11). The British Columbia Triangle: Part 3/6 – Indian Legends of the Interior Plateau | Canada History and Mystery. Mysteries of Canada. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://mysteriesofcanada.com/bc/the-british-columbia-triangle-part-3-6-indian-legends-of-the-interior-plateau/
8.Turner, N. J., Kuhnlein, H. V., & Egger, K. N. (1987). The Cottonwood Mushroom (Trichloma Populinum): a Food Resource of the Interior Salish Indian Peoples of British Columbia. Research gate. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237163157_The_cottonwood_mushroom_Tricholoma_populinum_A_food_resource_of_the_Interior_Salish_Indian_peoples_of_British_Columbia
9.Turner, N. J., Kuhnlein, H. V., & Egger, K. N. (1987). The cottonwood mushroom (Trichloma populinum): a food resource of the Interior Salish Indian peoples of British Columbia.
10.Yang, X., Wilkes, A., Yang, Y., & Xu, J. (2009, January). Common and Privatized: Conditions for Wise Management of Matsutake Mushrooms in Northwest Yunnan Province, China. Jstore. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/26268314.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Aaf71f8425a5ef86f70669efff8951ebd&ab_segments=&origin=&acceptTC=1