Grzybobranie, or mushroom picking, is one of the most Polish of traditions: getting up at dawn in September, a wicker basket, family “secret spots” passed down from generation to generation, and a quiet race to find the first prawdziwek. Poland is one of the countries where mushrooms are part of the culture as well as of nature. The most famous literary trace of this tradition is the mushroom-picking scene in Book III of “Pan Tadeusz”. Folk names such as prawdziwek, kozak, maślak, rydz, gąska, kania and podgrzybek are still part of everyday Polish.
Why is Poland a nation of mushroom pickers?
In the mid-20th century the American researcher R. Gordon Wasson and his wife Valentina proposed dividing nations into mycophiles, people who love, know and pick mushrooms, and mycophobes, who approach them with suspicion or dislike. Slavs, Poles included, are a classic example of mycophiles in this division.
Several things contributed to this:
- Lots of forest: forests cover almost a third of Poland, and most of them are open to everyone.
- Knowledge passed down in the family: children learn mushrooms from their parents and grandparents, often before they learn the names of trees.
- Mushroom picking as a social event: a trip together, conversation, comparing baskets.
- Seasonality: the autumn flush feels a bit like a holiday people wait for all year.
Mushroom picking in “Pan Tadeusz”
The best-known description of mushroom picking in Polish literature is in Book III of Adam Mickiewicz’s “Pan Tadeusz”, titled “Umizgi” (roughly “Flirtations”). The residents and guests of Soplicowo set off into the forest to pick mushrooms. The trip is a social event in which mushrooms are an excuse for meetings, flirting and small intrigues.
Mickiewicz describes the forest and its mushroom inhabitants with obvious affection: he lists one species after another, gives them character, and notes which ones pickers look for and which they pass by. Alongside, the stories of the main characters unfold (Tadeusz, Telimena, the Count), including the famous scene in a forest nook called the Świątynia dumania (the “Temple of Contemplation”). Mushroom picking becomes the backdrop against which the whole social life of a noble manor can be seen.
The scene also shows that in the first half of the 19th century mushroom picking was already an obvious, shared part of Polish culture, an activity that brought together generations and social classes. The original is worth reading: it is one of the most “forest-filled” passages in Polish poetry.
Folk names of mushrooms
Polish pickers rarely use the official species names. In the forest, folk names are the ones that survive: short, homely, and very different from region to region.
- Prawdziwek, the penny bun. The name comes from the belief that this is the “true” mushroom (prawdziwy means “true”), the most sought-after in the forest. It is also simply called borowik.
- Kozak covers Leccinum species, above all the birch bolete found under birches and the orange-capped Leccinum, also called czerwoniak (“the red one”).
- Maślak is the name for slippery jacks (Suillus), recognised by their slimy, almost greasy cap skin (masło means “butter”).
- Rydz is the saffron milk cap, which releases orange milk when damaged.
- Gąska is a collective name for many knights (Tricholoma). Note that the man on horseback, often picked in the past, is now considered dangerous.
- Kania and sowa are names for the parasol mushroom, a large mushroom with a cap like an umbrella. In many regions it is called sowa (“owl”).
- Podgrzybek is the bay bolete, one of the most common mushrooms in Polish baskets.
- Kurka is the chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), known to everyone for its yellow colour.
The same words can mean different species in different parts of Poland. That is why the Gribo atlas always gives the Latin name alongside the common name.
Mushroom pickers’ customs
Polish mushroom picking has an unwritten code that has survived for generations:
- Setting off at dawn: first come, first served. The early hours also mean cooler air and dew in the forest.
- A wicker basket: mushrooms can breathe and don’t get crushed, unlike in plastic bags.
- A small knife and a stick: the stick helps push aside leaves, and the knife helps clean the mushroom.
- Secret spots: family places you don’t tell strangers about, and sometimes not even the neighbours.
- Competition: who finds the first prawdziwek, who brings the most, who comes across the biggest kania.
- Stories: tales of “a mushroom so big it wouldn’t fit in the basket”, retold for years.
In Gribo these customs take a modern form: a map of your spots, expeditions with friends, trophies and ranks that grow with you, with a separate ladder for each forager profile. The spirit is the same: a shared adventure and a bit of healthy competition.
Tradition is not the same as safety
The fact that our grandparents picked something does not mean it is safe. Knowledge about mushrooms changes.
- Olszówka, the brown roll-rim, was a popular basket mushroom in Poland for generations. Today we know it can trigger a dangerous immune reaction that destroys red blood cells, even in people who had no problems with it before.
- Gąska zielonka, the man on horseback, was eagerly picked for a long time, but after documented severe poisonings it is now considered dangerous.
- Home tests such as a silver spoon, an onion or snail marks on the cap are myths that do not tell poisonous mushrooms from others.
That is why good mushroom picking combines tradition with up-to-date knowledge. Pick only species you know beyond any doubt. In many countries some species are protected by law. Leave them in the forest. Take every uncertain specimen to a mycologist, a local mushroom inspection point or a mycological society. In Poland, for example, the sanitary stations check mushrooms for free. Whether a mushroom can be eaten is decided by a mycologist. More in our guide to mushroom safety.
If poisoning is suspected, call the emergency number (112 in the EU) and take the mushroom leftovers to the hospital. If you are just starting your mushroom-picking adventure, read our basics of mushroom identification. Then let yourself be drawn into a tradition that goes back hundreds of years in Poland.
Frequently asked questions
Which book of “Pan Tadeusz” contains the mushroom-picking scene?
Book III, titled “Umizgi” (roughly “Flirtations”). The residents and guests of Soplicowo set off into the forest to pick mushrooms, and Mickiewicz describes both the mushrooms and the pickers with humour and affection.
Why do Poles love picking mushrooms so much?
Mushroom picking combines exercise in the fresh air, friendly competition and family tradition. Poland has plenty of forests open to everyone, and knowledge about mushrooms and favourite spots has been passed down in families for generations.
Where does the name prawdziwek come from?
This Polish folk name for the penny bun (Boletus edulis) comes from the belief that it is the “true” mushroom (prawdziwy means “true”), the one pickers are most eager to find.
Are the mushrooms our grandparents picked safe?
Not always. The brown roll-rim and the man on horseback were picked for generations, but today they are considered dangerous. Show every doubtful specimen to a mycologist.