Monday, March 14, 2011

Mushrooms On My Mind


When I traveled to my home in the north of Nam in January, the weather was rainy and misty and just right for the appearance of Omahova, a local delicacy and, I kept my eye out for people selling them along the roadside.

Sure enough, towards evening, I came upon this guy selling some in the rain. I stopped and took a pic but didn't buy any because they were open already and in this state they're often infested with worms.



Two days after I arrived home the weather was still good for mushrooms and I decided to take a drive to Tsinsabis, a small San settlement about 30km north on the newly tarred road past my home.

The window for the appearance of mushrooms is about one week, two weeks max.



It wasn't long before I came upon this guy selling Omahova - the ones he is displaying are open already but he had a few which were still closed and which I bought.

The prices asked for the mushrooms have increased dramatically over the last few years but, are still cheap - whatever the price, the people selling them are dirt-poor and I'm glad that they're able to earn a few bucks in this way.



As I was buying the mushrooms, this lovely child came running up from some shacks in the distance and graciously posed for a photo.


Further on up the road, near Tsinsabis, the rain was bucketing down and I decided to turn back because I was having difficulty seeing out the windows.


On my way back the rain eased up and I came upon this guy selling some Omahova - I bought a few of the closed ones.


I also found these two youngsters close to home - by this time I had enough Omahova but I gave them a few dollars anyway after they'd posed for pics.


A close-up of a mushroom lying on the road - When I arrived home, I chopped-up the ones I'd bought, dumped them into boiling water for a minute, then bagged and stuck them in the freezer, to await the arrival of someone who knows how to cook.

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35 comments:

  1. I don't know these mushrooms at all and I have never tried freezing any kind of mushroom. Can I pop over and cook them for you and have a taste LOL.
    The photos are great I love the way they are all so happy to pose for photos over there. Diane

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  2. Oh yum, Graham. I think these are the same mushrooms we knew as Makowes in South Africa. I love the little lad who ran up and posed for you. Have a great day. Jo

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  3. Omygosh Diane - as I've stated in an earlier post, I don't particularly like mushrooms but these are divine - you are welcome to come and prepare them ...

    Yeah, most people here love having their photo taken - unlike people in Europe, I believe ...

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  4. .... hehe Jo ... my mouth is watering just thinking about them - I've not heard about the Makowes you mention but it would be interesting to learn more because I was under the impression that they occur only in Namibia.

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  5. As a child I went to a summer a summer camp in the Laurentians and learned how to distinguish between the edible and the poisonous..later as a college student I learned about the medicinal effects..ofcourse only the hookah smoking caterpillar would know..:)

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  6. Hehe Monica ... medicinal indeed ... your reference has got that song about Lilly The Pink and her Medicinal Compound rolling around my head now ... I don't know why ...

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  7. you wrote, "await the arrival of someone who knows how to cook" - how often does that happen? Hopefully more frequently than the mushrooms.

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  8. They look good.
    In Italy we are big mushrooms eaters.
    The best way is to chop them and cook them in olive oil and just a bit of garlic.
    But if they are small we make thin slices and we eat them crude,like a fresh salad.

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  9. Hehe lisleman - that definition probably includes any visitor ... but I won't share them with just anyone ... :)

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  10. As a mushroom lover you'll LOVE these ones Andrea - if you visit Namibia again I'll share with you if I have any left - and if you'll prepare them in the way you describe ...

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  11. I love mushrooms. Oh you are so lucky to have such humongous ones. I'll join Diane and pop by to cook up a few,lol. Enjoy them. I love the photos of the children, esp. that little guy in the top one.

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  12. I forgot to say, I love all the scenery too. Very beautiful.

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  13. ... thanks Penny - next year I'll buy-up every one I see and fill up my deep freeze - then I'll fast for a few days before you and Diane arrive for a Mushroom Feast ... :)

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  14. Good to see you back from your travels again!The house is coming on slowly but surely too.
    Mushrooms grow here in late August, usually after a foggy morning with later sunshine they pop up.Places to pick them are diminishing as they grow on 'old'pastures and with the recent building boom during the 'Celtic Tiger' years they are gettign fewer.

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  15. You got it. I'll be there. LOL

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  16. Thanks Peggy - we also get other types of mushrooms appearing at the same time as the Omahova but I don't know which are edible and which are not ...

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  17. Mmmmmmm looking forward to next years mushroom feast. LOL Diane

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  18. Those are huge mushrooms...will have to be satisfied with your description of their excellent taste. I learned something...one can freeze mushrooms! And your photos are wonderful as always...love how the children come to be photographed...with such engaging smiles!

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  19. Thank you Theanne - yes, they are delicious - I believe that the process of putting vegetables/mushrooms in boiling water for a minute or two and then freezing them is called 'blanching' ... I dunno, that's what I heard ... :)

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  20. Are they in any way related to our brit "puff ball" mushrooms which grow to the size of a football and are eaten BEFORE they explode open?

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  21. Howzit Dave - I've never heard of the exploding British mushrooms you refer to ... uhm, isn't it kind of dangerous to eat them BEFORE they explode?

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  22. Hey friend! Back to see more images. Never heard about this mushroom. I am not a fan of mushrooms but I would like to try omahova, you say they taste divine, after an expert cook treatment. Someday. Greetings!

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  23. I love everything about this post, from the rain to the mushrooms, the people, the little guy posing with such enthusiasm. And that road looks great too.--Inger

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  24. Hello Graham.

    Beautiful pictures. I loved them all especially of the child. It reminds me a little of my childhood when we went around barefoot.

    It looked like it was a lot of rain. We are having plenty of rain too here. The mushrooms look like regular mushrooms but just huge and long. If the texture is the same, I am sure you could slice and chop them up small and fry with onions and garlic in butter and make into a pasta sauce.

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  25. Those mushrooms are huge! I have never been to Namibia but all our friends regularly go there and say it is beautiful over there. I am so glad I found your blog. Liesl

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  26. Greetings Oswaldo - yes, they are delicious ... do you have plans to visit Africa someday?

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  27. Thanks Inger - yes, the new tar road has made a great difference, not only to me but to all the people living in this area ...

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  28. Thank you Fazlisa - I also used to run around bare foot, even as an adult ... my connection to the Earth ... these last few days I was at the coast and took my sandals off ... after a few minutes I realized how soft the soles of my feet have become ...

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  29. Thank you for your visit and comment Liesl - I'm glad you found my blog and hope that you'll return often ...

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  30. I enjoy mushrooms too. These look quite enormous to me. Great pictures in your search for mushrooms:)

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  31. Hello Keats - thanks for your visit and comment ...

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  32. Yes, indeed. But now I don´t know when it is going to happen. But a trip to Africa is always in my thoughts. Dreams become reality some time. Best wishes!

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  33. Extraordinary
    you
    mushrooms
    this landscape
    this country

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  34. Heeey. I found this post while searching for pictures of "makowe mushrooms" because i live on the Kzn coast of SA. I didn't recognise any of these as makowes though, which are brown on the underside. Delicious though. I understand that they aren't grown commercially, but grow wild from termite nests. I remember picking makowes around the golf course in the village where i lived. :P (i'm still not sure that this is the right spelling. it seems clearly a zulu word).

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  35. Thanks for the comment Graydon - I guess the two types of mushroom are pretty similar - I believe that some have tried to cultivate the Omahova but without success ...

    I've just posted more pics of them, it was a great season this year ...

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