Fungi : Fungal bodies: A short guide
(2026) p.409-424- Abstract
There are fungi whose delectability and even whose shift from toxicity to edibility depends on preparation in the kitchen. The milkcaps Lactarius rufus and Lactarius trivialis and the false morel Gyromitra esculenta are three such mushrooms. The former two will burn your tongue if nibbled raw, and may bring on stomach-ache if not boiled prior to further cooking. The latter could kill you if it is not thoroughly prepared. All three fungi are commonly collected and eaten in Finland. So, how are these mushrooms identified and known? Why go to the trouble of collecting them? What associations and experiences inform the collection of these species? This chapter lays out an explorative methodology centred around the concept of fungal bodies,... (More)
There are fungi whose delectability and even whose shift from toxicity to edibility depends on preparation in the kitchen. The milkcaps Lactarius rufus and Lactarius trivialis and the false morel Gyromitra esculenta are three such mushrooms. The former two will burn your tongue if nibbled raw, and may bring on stomach-ache if not boiled prior to further cooking. The latter could kill you if it is not thoroughly prepared. All three fungi are commonly collected and eaten in Finland. So, how are these mushrooms identified and known? Why go to the trouble of collecting them? What associations and experiences inform the collection of these species? This chapter lays out an explorative methodology centred around the concept of fungal bodies, which is proposed to consider the sporing and mycelial bodies of fungi, the ecosystems in which they grow, the bodies of foragers and consumers, and how situated knowledges and histories shape what happens when they meet. The piece is inspired by the format of the field guide and draws on ethnographic research in Finland and across borders online. The conceptualisation of fungal bodies reveals how bodies and their health are not stable, but instead are constantly negotiated and transformed between species and matter. The chapter has conceptual and practical implications for how we engage with the environments around us and for how we conduct research with and about bodies.
(Less)
- author
- Garson, Katja LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-01-01
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- host publication
- The Routledge Handbook of Health and Environmental Humanities
- pages
- 16 pages
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105034242549
- ISBN
- 9781032505541
- 9781040489239
- DOI
- 10.4324/9781003404866-41
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: ©(Publisher name) (publishing year) all right reserved.
- id
- c22553a5-5a3b-4f24-9325-64a15446f40b
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-18 11:25:08
- date last changed
- 2026-06-18 11:26:17
@inbook{c22553a5-5a3b-4f24-9325-64a15446f40b,
abstract = {{<p>There are fungi whose delectability and even whose shift from toxicity to edibility depends on preparation in the kitchen. The milkcaps Lactarius rufus and Lactarius trivialis and the false morel Gyromitra esculenta are three such mushrooms. The former two will burn your tongue if nibbled raw, and may bring on stomach-ache if not boiled prior to further cooking. The latter could kill you if it is not thoroughly prepared. All three fungi are commonly collected and eaten in Finland. So, how are these mushrooms identified and known? Why go to the trouble of collecting them? What associations and experiences inform the collection of these species? This chapter lays out an explorative methodology centred around the concept of fungal bodies, which is proposed to consider the sporing and mycelial bodies of fungi, the ecosystems in which they grow, the bodies of foragers and consumers, and how situated knowledges and histories shape what happens when they meet. The piece is inspired by the format of the field guide and draws on ethnographic research in Finland and across borders online. The conceptualisation of fungal bodies reveals how bodies and their health are not stable, but instead are constantly negotiated and transformed between species and matter. The chapter has conceptual and practical implications for how we engage with the environments around us and for how we conduct research with and about bodies.</p>}},
author = {{Garson, Katja}},
booktitle = {{The Routledge Handbook of Health and Environmental Humanities}},
isbn = {{9781032505541}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
pages = {{409--424}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
title = {{Fungi : Fungal bodies: A short guide}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003404866-41}},
doi = {{10.4324/9781003404866-41}},
year = {{2026}},
}