‘Up the Pong’ (Guest Blog for UK Fungus Day)

By Anna Lewis • 1st October 2021

Guest Blog by Fungi expert and FSC Tutor Ali McKernan

Sniff Your Way Around the Woods this Autumn for UK Fungus day!

When was the last time you sniffed a wild mushroom?*

Regardless of whether your answer is “Never”, “I can’t remember”, “Last Monday” or “What?” It’s boom time for fungi right now so the time is well and truly upon us – it’s time to get sniffing! Not many people realise just how broad and bonkers the range of odours is that fungi can kick out, some so ridiculous that you may not believe me. Don’t believe me that you may not believe me? Here’s a few examples. However, i’ve planted a rogue odour in there – try and have a punt at which you think it is.

Ready? Here we go:

Watermelon, suncream, battenberg (franchipan), bed bugs, curry, aniseed, ready salted crisps, crab, geranium and cheap soap.
The invader? The ready salted crisps**

The rest are all authentic smells you may experience in the wonderful world of fungi and mushrooms.

Now some fungi smells are more obvious and pungent than others.
In fact it’s not uncommon for me to pass a mushroom around for a sniffing and the response is more often than not “It just smells of mushroom”.

But like an experienced wine taster can detect notes of brushed gooseberry hairs or joyful plum tears, with time and experience you too should begin to detect the (sometimes subtle) differences.

Smell is, of course, also very subjective and it’s always intriguing to pass around a fungus and invariably have a right laugh at some of the interpretations that get offered up.

Last year I had a webcap whose smell interpretations varied from meat and potato pie to banana milkshake!

But some fungi are out and out unmistakeable and there’ll be times where your olfactory senses are overwhelmed by a very distinct whiff. That suncream one? Well that’s the coconut milkcap, which not only ‘bleeds’ a white milk, but really throws out the holiday vibes.

The cucumber cap, Dryad’s saddle and St George’s mushrooms and all whiff of cucumber, and the waxcaps are a particularly funky bunch, with smells including russian leather (cedarwood waxcap), honey, engine oil and garlic.

I had the pleasure of sniffing an uncommon toothed fungus this summer that my friend described as ‘Coffee and Walnut’ cake – and he was right!

There is one very distinct odour that probably needs a mention as it’s not only distinct and quite a common smell within fungi, but it is guaranteed to raise an eyebrow or two. Guide books have many ways of describing it, including farinaceous, wet flour, starch or mealy. Another description cuts to the chase and calls it spermatic. Your nose may tell you when you find one. That’s all I have to say about that one.

As for the most obscure of all fungal odours?
Well as varied and suprising as mushroom smells can be, that prize surely has to go to the Ivory woodwax mushroom. And what be the whiff that deserves this crowning title? The injured larvae of a Goat Moth.

And there you have it. Fungi. Sometimes odd, occasionally scary, always fascinating, and sometimes remarkably smelly. Now go scratch and sniff!

*Don’t worry about replying:

1) It would be a bit weird if you replied out loud to an article and

2) I can’t hear you anyway.

** Though I do occasionally get people detecting that odour when they smell mushrooms on my forays, but that often coincides with just having eaten their packed lunch!

‘Up the Pong’ (Guest Blog for UK Fungus Day)

Sniff Your Way Around the Woods this Autumn for UK Fungus day!

When was the last time you sniffed a wild mushroom?*

If you’re interested in finding out more about fungi this autumn, check out our place based and virtual Fungi Courses.

Or take the FSC Fungi Name Trail Guide on your next autumnal walk!