Wild mushroom consumption in the P’urhépecha Plateau at Michoacán, México: social, ethnomycological and nutritional issues

Abstract Among Mesoamerican cultures, P’urhépecha settlers inhabiting Michoacán State in Central Mexico preserve ancestral tradition on mushrooms eating. Most mycological knowledge available for this ethnical group has been addressed the Pátzcuaro’s Lake zone, whereas communities other cultural and ecological relevant geographic areas remain unstudied. Thus, work describes ethnomycological of a scarcely analyzed Arantepacua community at Plateau region. Through structured interviews field collections, data use, knowledge, biomass extraction nomenclature wild were obtained. A list names to design 16 species 11 fruitbody components is documented studied used Spanish popular describe 21 structures. valuable consumed mushroom belong Amanita, Boletus, Hypomyces Ramaria genera. Gender roles collect cooking, new terms dialect refer parts vegetative mycelium, as well local recipes nutritional relevance by are discussed. The contributes name an agarical fruitbody, mycelium empirical about mycorrhizal associations. This was first study made outside Pátzcuaro basin.