When we consider mushrooms and also the southerly Mexico state of Oaxaca, the first point which commonly comes to mind is María Sabina, Huautla de Jiménez as well as hallucinogenic “magic” mushrooms. Yet slowly that’s all altering as a result of the groundbreaking work of Josefina Jiménez and also Johann Mathieu in mycology, via their business, Mico-lógica.
Based in the town of Benito Juárez, situated in Oaxaca’s Ixtlán area (more typically referred to as the Sierra Norte, the state’s main ecotourism area), Mico-lógica’s objective is threefold: to educate both Mexicans as well as site visitors to the nation in the affordable farming of a variety of mushroom varieties; to inform about the medicinal, nutritional as well as ecological (sustainable) value of mushrooms; and also to carry out continuous research study pertaining to maximum climatic regions and the variety of substrata for mushroom culture.
The French-born Mathieu moved to Mexico, as well as a matter of fact to Huautla de Jiménez, in 2005. “Yes, coming completely to Mexico from France to seek my interest in mushrooms feels like a long means to travel,” Mathieu discussed in a current interview in Oaxaca. “But there really wasn’t much of a chance to conduct researches and also expand a company in Western Europe,” he continues, “considering that reverence for mushrooms had been all but completely eradicated by The Church over the course of centuries; and also I learned that Mexico still maintains a respect and also appreciation for the medicinal and also nutritional value of hongos. Mexico is far from mycophobic.”
Huautla de Jiménez is greater than a 5 hr drive from the closest urbane center. Accordingly, Mathieu eventually understood that remaining in Huautla, while holding a historical appeal and being in a geographical region for collaborating with mushrooms, would hinder his initiatives to expand a company and also cultivate extensive interest in discovering fungi. Mathieu came to be mindful of the expanding credibility of Oaxaca’s ecotourism communities of the Sierra Norte, and without a doubt the Feria Regional de Hongos Silvestres (regional wild mushroom celebration), held annually in Cuahimoloyas.
Mathieu met Josefina Jiménez at the summer season weekend mushroom occasion. Jiménez had moved to Oaxaca from home town Mexico City in 2002. The two common comparable interests; Jiménez had actually researched agronomy, as well as for near a years had been working with sustainable farming tasks in rural farming neighborhoods in the Huasteca Potosina region of San Luis Potosí, the hills of Guerrero and also the shore of Chiapas. Mathieu and also Jiménez became company, and then life companions in Benito Juárez.
Mathieu as well as Jiménez are concentrating on 3 mushroom varieties in their hands-on seminars; oyster (seta), shitake and also reishi. Their one-day workshops are for oyster mushrooms, and two-day centers for the latter two varieties of fungus. “With reishi, as well as to a lesser extent shitake, we’re also educating a reasonable little bit concerning the medicinal uses of mushrooms, so even more time is needed,” says Mathieu, “as well as with oyster mushrooms it’s primarily [but not specifically] a course on cultivation.”
While training workshops are now just given up Benito Juárez, Mathieu and Jiménez plan to increase procedures to consist of both the main valleys as well as seaside areas of Oaxaca. The item is to have a network of producers growing different mushrooms which are ideally suited for cultivation based on the certain microclimate. There are about 70 sub-species of oyster mushrooms, and also hence as a varieties, the adaptability of the oyster mushroom to different weather areas is remarkable. “The oyster can be expanded in a wide variety of various substrata, which’s what we’re explore right now,” he elucidates. The oyster mushroom can grow when expanded on products which would or else be waste, such as throw out from cultivating beans, sugar walking cane, agave (consisting of the coarse waste produced in mezcal purification), peas, the typical river reed known as carriso, sawdust, and also the list goes on. Agricultural waste which may otherwise be entrusted to rot or be shed, each with unfavorable ecological implications, can create substrata for mushroom farming. It should be kept in mind, though commonplace, that mushroom farming is a very lasting, green industry. Over the previous a number of years Mexico has in fact been at the fore in numerous locations of lasting industry.
” They can hold up to thirty thousand times their mass, having implications for preventing disintegration. They have actually been utilized to tidy up oil spills with absorption as well as hence are a crucial car for environment restoration. Research study has actually been performed with mushrooms in the battle against carpenter ant damage; it’s been suggested that making use of fungis has the possible to totally overhaul the pesticide industry in an eco-friendly way. There are essentially numerous other environment-friendly applications for mushroom usage, and also in each situation the mushroom continues to be an edible byproduct. Have a look at the Paul Stamets YouTube lecture, 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The World.”
Mathieu as well as Jiménez can commonly be found selling their products on weekend breaks in the natural markets in Oaxaca. They’re both more than happy to discuss the nutritional worth of their products which vary from normally their fresh buy hash online mushrooms, but additionally as preserves, seasoned with either chipotle as well as nopal or jalapeño and also cauliflower. The mushroom’s vitamin B12 can not be located in fruits or veggies, as well as necessary a diet plan which includes fungi is very crucial for vegetarians who can not get B12, most often consisted of in meats. Mushrooms can easily be an alternative to meats, with the benefit that they are not filled with prescription antibiotics and hormonal agents usually discovered in industrially processed meat items.
