GUNDI'S MAGICAL MUSHROOM TOUR
By Frank Hoffman
Last May, Stella Tracy told me about a mushroom foray that Gundi Jeffrey, the previous editor of the Mycelium, and her husband Erik were organizing in Mexico. They had moved to Mexico a few years ago and had recently discovered what she described as 'THE mushroom capital of the country?' When I e-mailed Gundi for more information, she sent me a detailed itinerary and it's a pleasant memory from there.
For those of our mycophiles who know me, my motto is "any excuse for a motorcycle ride" This is one of the many things I like about fungi – it gives me an excuse to hop on my bike and head for parts heretofore unexplored by me, make new mycc-friends, experience different cultures and explore the operating limits of my bike. I can't think of any other interest that will allow me such diversion.
So, early one August morning, I was on Highway 401, destination Mexico. I arrived in Tlaxcala, the same-named capital of the state and the central point for the foray, a week later. The city is nestled in hilly plains, punctuated by dramatic volcanic peaks, about 120 kilometres due east of Mexico City. Unlike the hot and humid coastal areas of the country, Tlaxcala’s air is fresh, its hills are green and wooded and its climate (due to an average elevation of 7,000 feet) is temperate and comfortable year round.
The following day, I met Gundi and Erik for an enjoyable dinner at a local restaurant and they outlined the various tour activities…
Sunday, the three of us boarded a bus to Mexico City where all of us would assemble, enjoy a welcome reception and meet Aturo Estrada Torres, the founder of the mycology lab at the University of Tlaxcala and the lead mycologist for our tour.
Monday’s destination was Tlaxcala, with an en route foray about half way between it and Mexico City. We stopped at a place called llano Grande, on the pine-covered slopes of the Volcano Popocatepetl. We were foraying at elevations of around 10,000 feet and the terrain was nothing like we encounter in Ontario. The weather was quite cool, with occasional drizzle. We didn’t find a lot of mushrooms that day, especially as it began to rain in earnest two hours into our foray. The sky cleared, though, on our way to Tlaxcala and we were decanted at the Hotel Posada San Francisco, a most charming and elegant place on the main square of the city.
That evening were taken to the nearby countryside to visit the home of our hosts, to enjoy a most remarkable gourmet dinner that married traditional Mexican cuisine with mushroom delicacies. As we left, we saw the full moon rising over another nearby volcano, the majestic La Malinche.
On Tuesday, our group set out for the northern part of the state to visit El Peñon, a mountain covered in mixed forest. The foray was quite interesting and productive, although only few edibles were found.
After our visit to El Peñon, we were off to the hot springs of Chignahuapan – a dramatic resort tucked deep into a gorge that featured various pools of warm, sulphurous water, even in our rooms. Well-known amateur mycologist Rod Tullos and his lovely daughter Sarah joined our group at this point. Rod, who specializes in amanitas, was part of the 1998 NAMA foray in this area and had visited Tlaxcala several times to study the local abundance. It’s one of his favorite places to study mushrooms.
Dinner that night was a buffet and a special, delicious dish the hotel had whipped up for us from the edibles we had collected. Following dinner, we enjoyed a presentation by Arturo, who talked about the research done at the university and the types of mushrooms found in the state.
Wednesday, we were off to a resort on La Malinche, to a tourist lodge operated by the Mexican government. We had one foray on the way, collecting a wide variety of edibles, which we enjoyed at a special tasting before dinner that night. Gundi had separated all the mushrooms into individual piles, and each was fried in a bit of butter and salt, so that we could experience the true flavor of each specimen. This was followed by another traditional Mexican dinner including mushrooms. For me, the highlight was the sopa de cuitlacoche, a tasty soup made with corn smut fungus. The people of Mexico regard cuitlacoche as a delicacy and it can be found in tins in all supermarkets.
Thursday we forayed on the volcano and then visited a local village to meet friends of Adriana, who works with several villages on their use of fungi. Two very charming ladies opened their homes to us, treated us to their food – red and green tamales, accompanied by fermented cactus juice – and explained their use of a sweat lodge for their personal hygiene. More foraying in the afternoon culminated in a dinner prepared by Adriana's village friends. Folks, this is not Taco Bell. This was plain local cuisine prepared over a charcoal fire, each dish featuring some type of mushroom. What an experience, what a treat! Gundi's foray began on a high note and just kept getting better. The altitude and Erik's attentiveness to our wine-glasses, along with the delicious meal, soon swept us into the arms of Morpheus. But not just yet.
First, Adriana gave us a fascinating presentation of her work with the villagers, explaining how they used mushrooms for trade, commerce, health - cuitlacoche makes a great facial mask – and for the table. The presentation was particularly interesting because we were joined by our bus driver and his young nephew, who could no longer sleep in their bus - it had gotten so cold outside - the coldest ever night recorded for this time of year. They soon got offers of a warm bed and breakfast. Both watched the slide show with utter fascination and we could see a young mycologist in the making.
Friday morning we were rather saturated with foraying and we began our return journey to Tlaxcala and the comforts of the Posada San Francisco. For the rest of the day, we were free to explore the town on our own, although some went with Gundi and Erik to see local archeological sites.
The next day, Gundi and Erik had arranged a tour ofTlaxcala and surrounding areas. This included two of the local missions and we were very impressed with the artwork inside, the décor and architecture. We also toured the Palacio Nacional to view the murals depicting the history of the Tlaxcala people. It took more than 30 years to complete this magnificent work of art – and it ain't done yet!! The murals alone merit a visit to Tlaxcala.
But the highlight of the tour was the banquet Saturday evening. This was held in the dining hall of the Santuario Ocotlan, the most beautiful cathedral in the state. It also serves as a convent where guest can stay. This time, Timothy Knab, now a professor of anthropology at the University of Peubla but the former owner of Auberge de Quatres Saisons in New York state and chef extraordinaire, was in charge of the exquisite meal, with Erik as the chief sommelier. A local troubadour serenaded us with Mexican favorites all night. After dessert, Gundi presented us with some very thoughtful souvenirs, with a mushroom theme, of course, and a cookbook containing recipes for many of the meals we enjoyed.
Simply explained, these warm and fond memories of Gundi’s tour are like a fine wine – they become better every time I remember them. Problems? Well, a few, but Gundi and Erik were on hand to keep everything flowing smoothly and to deliver more than they promised. The Mexican people? Only superlatives can be said. The price? Even including airfare, I thought it was great value.
Reprinted from the January –March 2001 edition of Mycelium, the newsletter of the Mycological Society of Toronto. Frank joined us on another tour in 2001 and is now trying to have an article published on that adventure. He will be with us one more time in Veracruz in October 2003.