Mushroom season
Have you ever been for mushrooms in the forest, in the Rhodope Forest?
Even as a child, I started walking, in the forest, with my grandmother, to pick mushrooms, when their time comes. I spent my summer vacations looking for and picking mushrooms. Something, which I later realize, how much, it was interesting and pleasant. Then more, I appreciated that, earning my own money or collecting for a video. These machines were all the rage at the time. My grandmother and grandfather, in the summer, they moved to live on Valtata. Forest area of 15 km. from Overnight, which was alive with people, employed in the large farms of the Agrarian Industrial Complex, resin and herb gatherers. On the Valtata, my grandmother and grandfather, as working on resin, they had a departmental cottage, consisting of one large room, where regular guests, we were with my cousins. Some fun ones, passed away, summer days in the beautiful Dospat forest.
Like real mushrooms
Every morning, grandma used to wake us up 6 breakfast time, to go, as early as possible, on the forest paths, because with mushrooms it is important to be the first to pass the path in the forest and find your luck. And luck, he is waiting for you there, you just have to become part of the forest, to feel it, to feel the aroma and, the beauty of grasses, the herbs, to hear the song of the birds and then the path itself leads you to another treasure – beautiful, healthy, bride, mushroom - classified by the redeemers, as first quality.
The mushrooms, which we were picking
The mushrooms, which we picked in Dospatska forest - were mushrooms. Back then, only mushrooms were bought at the checkpoints. Grandma didn't, like a forest child, knew the places, to which, they grow and we never came back with empty bags. We probably passed by 20 km. per day to dial, a decent amount of mushrooms and to fill our backpacks. We were an interesting sight, an elderly woman gave birth to three children in The Rhodope forest, with bags, often, quite full of mushrooms.
From vacationing tourists to Dospat dam, we learned, that there are other mushrooms, which are tasty and valuable for food and can be found in our forest, like a crow's foot, the shriveled, Cheladinka and Maslovka.
From the mushrooms, which, then we only picked and prepared the roe, now I am happy to prepare stewed mushrooms and share the recipe with the guests of Villa Classic Dospat.
