by When we think of mushrooms and also the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca, the initial thing which generally comes to mind is María Sabina, Huautla de Jiménez and hallucinogenic “magic” mushrooms. Yet gradually that’s all transforming as an outcome of the groundbreaking work of Josefina Jiménez and Johann Mathieu in mycology, via their company, Mico-lógica.
Based in the town of Benito Juárez, situated in Oaxaca’s Ixtlán district (more commonly called the Sierra Norte, the state’s major ecotourism area), Mico-lógica’s mission is threefold: to train both Mexicans and also site visitors to the nation in the low-priced growing of a variety of mushroom types; to enlighten about the medicinal, nutritional and also environmental (sustainable) value of mushrooms; as well as to perform recurring research relating to optimal climatic areas and the diversity of substrata for mushroom culture.
The French-born Mathieu transferred to Mexico, as well as a matter of fact to Huautla de Jiménez, in 2005. “Yes, coming all the way to Mexico from France to seek my rate of interest in mushrooms appears like a lengthy way to take a trip,” Mathieu clarified in a current meeting in Oaxaca. “But there actually had not been much of a chance to carry out studies and grow a service in Western Europe,” he proceeds, “considering that respect for mushrooms had been all but entirely eliminated by The Church throughout centuries; as well as I learned that Mexico still keeps a regard as well as recognition for the medicinal as well as dietary worth of hongos. Mexico is far from mycophobic.”
Huautla de Jiménez is more than a five hr drive from the closest urban facility. Accordingly, Mathieu ultimately realized that staying in Huautla, while holding a historic appeal and also being in a geographical region conducive to working with mushrooms, would certainly hinder his initiatives to expand a business and also cultivate widespread rate of interest in discovering fungis. Mathieu came to be cognizant of the expanding reputation of Oaxaca’s ecotourism neighborhoods of the Sierra Norte, as well as without a doubt the Feria Regional de Hongos Silvestres (regional wild mushroom festival), held yearly in Cuahimoloyas.
Mathieu satisfied Josefina Jiménez at the summer season weekend break mushroom occasion. Jiménez had actually relocated to Oaxaca from home town Mexico City in 2002. Both shared similar rate of interests; Jiménez had actually studied agronomy, as well as for near to a decade had actually been dealing with sustainable agriculture jobs in rural farming communities in the Huasteca Potosina region of San Luis Potosí, the hills of Guerrero as well as the shore of Chiapas. Mathieu and Jiménez came to be company, and after that life partners in Benito Juárez.
Mathieu as well as Jiménez are focusing on three mushroom types in their hands-on seminars; oyster (seta), shitake and also reishi. Their one-day workshops are for oyster mushrooms, and also two-day centers for the last two varieties of fungus. “With reishi, as well as to a minimal level shitake, we’re likewise showing a reasonable bit regarding the medical uses mushrooms, so even more time is needed,” says Mathieu, “as well as with oyster mushrooms it’s predominantly [but not specifically] a training course on farming.”
While training seminars are now just given up Benito Juárez, Mathieu as well as Jiménez strategy to increase procedures to include both the central valleys and also coastal regions of Oaxaca. The item is to have a network of manufacturers growing different mushrooms which are optimally suited for farming based on the particular microclimate. There are about 70 sub-species of oyster mushrooms, and also thus as a species, the adaptability of the oyster mushroom to different climatic regions is exceptional. “The oyster can be grown in a plethora of different substrata, and that’s what we’re try out today,” he clarifies. The oyster mushroom can flourish when grown on products which would or else be waste, such as discard from growing beans, sugar cane, agave (consisting of the coarse waste produced in mezcal purification), peas, the common river reed referred to as carriso, sawdust, and also the checklist takes place. Agricultural waste which might otherwise be left to rot or be melted, each with adverse ecological ramifications, can form substrata for mushroom farming. It needs to be kept in mind, though commonplace, that mushroom growing is a very sustainable, eco-friendly market. Over the previous a number of years Mexico has actually in truth gone to the fore in lots of locations of lasting industry.
” They can stand up to thirty thousand times their mass, having ramifications for preventing disintegration. They have actually been utilized to clean up oil spills with absorption and also thus are a crucial lorry for environment remediation. Research has actually been finished with mushrooms in the battle versus carpenter ant damage; it’s been recommended that the use of fungis has the potential to entirely overhaul the chemical market in an eco-friendly way. There are literally thousands of other environment-friendly applications for mushroom use, and also in each instance the mushroom continues to be an edible by-product. Have a look at the Paul Stamets YouTube lecture, 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The World.”
Mathieu as well as Jiménez can commonly be discovered marketing their items on weekends in the natural markets in Oaxaca. They’re both more than happy to discuss the dietary worth of their products which range from naturally their fresh mushrooms, however buy greasy pink strain also as maintains, marinaded with either chipotle as well as nopal or jalapeño as well as cauliflower. The mushroom’s vitamin B12 can not be found in fruits or vegetables, as well as accordingly a diet regimen which includes fungis is very crucial for vegetarians that can not obtain B12, frequently included in meats. Mushrooms can conveniently be an alternative to meats, with the benefit that they are not loaded with antibiotics and also hormonal agents usually found in industrially refined meat items.
