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RELATED: Food for thought: Edible mushrooms and other fungi

September 14, 1999
Web posted at: 5:34 p.m. EDT (2134 GMT)

MOSCOW -- Russian mushroom hunters are taking a final tromp through northern forests this week as the mushroom season comes to an end.

Many people there are taught when young the difference between poisonous mushrooms and many edible varieties in the area.

For Russia, the fungus is an established mainstay in many recipes. At times, it has served as a major food source, eaten fresh in the summer and canned for winter.

"I think that gathering mushrooms is part of the state of a person's soul," says gatherer Arkady, who has collected mushrooms for over 30 years. "I don't understand how it would be possible to drink vodka without having some rich, fried mushrooms to eat."

Reuters contributed to this report.