Dried Polish Mushrooms - Where to Buy?

[gardenmoma]

Does anyone know where to buy dried Polish mushrooms either in the U.S. or Poland?

The only two places I know of are:

• Polart INTERNET site
  
• the duty-free shop leaving the airport in Warsaw
  

Both of the above places are expensive.

I have bought dried shitake and portabella mushrooms in large quantity containers at some of the "warehouse clubs" (Cosco, BJ's, Sam's Club) on a hit or miss basis, but these come from China.

There are also these two above plus more exotic types also from China sold in smaller quantities at some of my local grocery stores.

[nancy]

I suspect this source will be too expensive also:

www.polbook.com/sweetpoland/index.php?p=index&t=kat&v=195

[rdywenur]

There is a Polish store a few blocks up the street so I called to ask if they have any and to compare prices. They have a small bag for 3.49 (he said about 1/2#) and a more expensive one at 8.50 but they are only caps. Not sure of the weight. not sure of difference or it matters.

[justjohn]

When I was a young man, in Deluvian times, we as a family would go for a walk in the Connecticut woods. This of course was during summer and usually after a rain.

We carried sacks slung over our shoulders and while on this outing we would pick mushrooms. During the course of the summer we would get enough that my mother would can 30 or 40 quart jars of them for use in the fall and winter.

To this day I go into the woods and will pick some mushrooms when I can. One name for them that I remember is 'Opienki'. There were two main types we would look for.

During one such session, on a bright, warm and sunny day, I came upon a clearing where in the center was a large rock that was flat on top. The sun shone brilliantly down through the trees as if it were a spotlight. It illuminated this rock platform with its warm, radiant glow.

On the very top of this rock was a coiled presence. Very large too. It shimmered in the sunlight with fluorescent blacks and blues with a touch of green. It was absolutely magnificent. A large blacksnake sunning itself.

I was mesmerized. Sat down and watched it for a long time. After a while it rose from the coil, sensed my presence, looked in my direction and slid away into the warm forest.

That memory has stayed with me for over 50 years.

Love picking mushrooms in the forest.

[franek80]

John;
Ahhh ,those were the days.. I remember the OPIENKI. Then there were the MASLOKI??Like you I too, saw a snake. But unlike you I ran out of the woods.. HEY I was a city boy