Mushrooms

In the dark galleries, the mushrooms are hand-picked by farm workers. But in the second half of the 20th century, the mushroom cultures are modernised and abandon the “troglos” (troglodytic caves) to find a new bed in large hangars. The production is industrialised.

Today, only fresh mushrooms are still hand-picked. The picking for products such as canned food is machine driven.

The competition coming from Poland, the Netherlands and China is fierce and accelerates the disappearance of most of the small farms for the benefit of big holdings. For instance, France Champignon, the biggest national producer has its head office in Saumur.

There are only a few mushroom farmers left who still work in the underground galleries. They supply restaurants and grocery stores specialised in white mushrooms, and also oyster mushrooms, blewits and shiitake mushrooms. You can buy their products on the farm or on local markets.

And while you are there, don’t forget to try another local speciality: the “galipettes” (somersault), big white mushrooms stuffed with cheese, potted meat, andouille, etc. Where does this name come from? You will have to visit the museums and caves of the territory to find it out: the mushroom museum in Saumur , the mushroom farm Saut aux Loups in Montsoreau or the Living Mushroom Cave in Puy-Notre-Dame. You will learn all about mushroom beds, their functioning and their history in the region.