Autumn is already here and mushroom season is in! As we mentioned in our article on November in Barcelona, we spoke about panellets and chestnuts, seasonal foods here, as well as Halloween, but now we’d like to share with you about local cuisine Catalonia’s favourite mushrooms! Rovellones or níscalos here, known in English as Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms (Latin name: Lactarius deliciosus) are available at any of Barcelona’s fresh markets and many grocery stores around the city in the fall. We’re in the thick of the season and other mycological products can be discovered, such as Yellow Footed Chanterelles (rossinyol in Catalan), Yellow Trumpets (camagroc in Catalan). All of these can be found and foraged in the forested areas of Catalonia such as Berguedà and Garrotxa. Mushrooms, or rather foraging for mushrooms, is an activity that Catalonians are passionate about, to the extent that some forested areas have been placed under protection from excessive foraging. Local townspeople sometimes become annoyed by city dwellers “jumping” up to the areas where mushrooms can be found on the weekends.

 Coming back to the Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms, though – we recommend that you come to Barcelona during the fall so that you can try these delicacies. Find yourself an apartment with a great kitchen so that you can even try cooking these yourself! With just basic pots and pans, these mushrooms are easy to prepare. Let us lay out the perfect plan for you: first, you must go to the market, a highly recommended activity regardless of where you are travelling, and buy a half kilo of Saffron Milk Caps and follow the recipe outlined below! How to prepare traditional Saffron Milk Cap mushrooms with garlic and parsley ½ kilo of mushrooms 1 Tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup parsley, chopped finely Clean the mushrooms with a slightly damp towel. Chop the mushrooms into bite size pieces. Put the olive oil in a pan set on medium heat, and once hot, add the mushrooms, coating them in the oil. After two or three minutes of sautéing the mushrooms, add the chopped garlic and parsley. As the mushrooms take on a golden hue, remove them from the heat. This recipe goes well as a side dish to meat or other proteins. As we say in Catalonia, ¡Bon profit!