This is a collection of my favourite books on mushroom hunting. They range in topic from general information to field guides and cookbooks. Have in mind, some of the best fungi guides are not necessarily linked to wild food and foraging so not all of them will list edibility of fungi. You will always need to cross reference different guides to identify your findings and make really sure you got it right before eating any wild mushroom.
Mushrooms – by Roger Phillips
The very essential book you must have on your shelf to help identification at home. Packed with full colour detailed photographs, precise descriptions, and information on habitat and edibility, this is the result of over 30 years work on fungi. Academic writing and technical data suitable for intermediate-advanced level.
Edible Mushrooms: A Forager’s Guide to the Wild Fungi of Britain and Europe – by Geoff Dann
One of the most comprehensive guides on British fungi, bursting with colour photographs and detailed information. The book covers description, smell, taste, habitat, season and edibility of the species. The first part of the book goes through safety, equipment, laws, ethics and methods of preparation.
River Cottage Handbook no1 Mushrooms – by John Wright
A very entertaining book that focuses on edible fungi you are likely to find in Britain, providing information on habitat, season, taste and cooking preparation. There is also a user friendly key, a chapter dedicated to poisonous lookalikes and another for general recipes. There are clear photographs for every species and the recipes included.
Collins Complete British Mushrooms and Toadstools – by by Paul Sterry & Barry Hughes
A photographic guide of every mushroom you are most likely to find in Britain. It’s a good book to expand mycological identification skills, introducing different genera, the science of fungi and tree ID, only failing to mention edibility.
Mushrooms (Collins Gem) – by by Patrick Harding & Alan Outen
Pocket guide to carry on your rucksack and double-check your findings. The book is divided into chapters by genera and composed in brief fact sheets with necessary information as a field guide: size, habitat, season, edibility and similar species. It also contains a useful key to species illustrated in the book.
Complete Mushroom Book, The Quiet Hunt – by Antonio Carluccio
A well-illustrated guide with pictures that is written beautifully with passion and enthusiasm. The first half of the book is a field guide to help ID mushrooms while the second half show the recipes we can do with our hunt.
Geoff Dann and Roger Philips books are the two main references I use
This is great! Thank you 🙂
The only book I have so far is the Bloomsbury Pocket Guide to Mushrooms which is very good