Mushroom hunting is a treasured Polish pastime, a peaceful way to spend time in the wilderness while collecting treats for the dinner table. Everyone has their favourite spot, some kept a closely guarded secret even from friends and family. In much of Poland, mushroom excursions double as an opportunity to encounter relics of the country’s turbulent past.
I had the opportunity to participate with my wife’s family in northeastern Poland, tromping through the woods in Biebrzański National Park searching for chanterelles, boletus, and other delicacies. We learned the tricks of the trade: where to look for the best odds of success, how to avoid poisonous varieties, and the best ways to prepare your finds for dinner.
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Along the way our hunt revealed some of the relentless atrocities that scarred Poland throughout the 20th century. Right from the start, as we entered the sandy pine forests in the park, we passed a trench running diagonally through the woods, a remnant of the battle lines in World War I. Today treasure hunters with metal detectors still uncover ammunition and other artefacts of the war. As we hunted through the woods we skirted several other trenches, dug by men on a much grimmer mission than our own.
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