Amanita caesarea

Fresh Amanita Caesarea in a forest in the Zagori area in Ioannina

Amanita caesarea, commonly known in English as Caesar’s mushroom, is a highly regarded edible mushroom in the genus Amanita, native to Zagori, Greece. This mushroom was a favorite of early rulers of the Roman Empire hence it’s name Caesarea. It was known to and valued…

Autumn mushrooms

Autumn mushrooms, boletus aereus and amanita caesarea, in Zagori

Autumn is the best time to go hunting for mushrooms. The past few weeks were quite rainy for the season so when the temperature rose a bit and the sun shone the magic world of the fungi made it’s glorious appearance in the forests…

Blackberries

Blackberry picking season in the mountains of Epirus

Greek: βατόμουρα A purply black-coloured berry comprising many individual seed-containing fruits surrounding a cone-shaped core. Wonderfully juicy, they’re good raw (straight from the hedge!) or cooked and are bursting with vitamin C. Wild, they’re often called brambles meaning any impenetrable scrub. Sometimes called the “Cabernet…