DID YOU KNOW? Mushrooms & Immortality
Enjoy your mushroom gathering in the P-O – it used to be illegal!
According to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, mushrooms were believed to be the plant of immortality. They were considered so special that only the pharaohs were allowed to eat them, while ordinary people were forbidden from even touching them.
Because mushrooms appeared overnight without any visible roots, the Ancient Egyptians also believed they were gifts from the gods, sent to Earth in bolts of lightning.
Thankfully, times have changed. Today, foraging is a much-loved autumn tradition across the Pyrénées-Orientales – just be sure you know exactly what you’re picking before taking anything home!
Fun Fact: Mushrooms aren’t actually plants at all – they’re fungi, a completely separate kingdom of life that’s more closely related to animals than to plants.