ANDRZEJ KRAUZE
Several years ago, mycologist Ellen Jacobson was preparing a meal in her Colorado kitchen when her cat Cashew appeared, whining and brushing against her legs. She attempted to interpret her feline companion’s cries and guessed that he was begging for a taste of the porcini mushroom she was chopping. A sucker for a good meow, Jacobson obliged, tossing Cashew a few pieces, which he gobbled up, immediately meowing for more.
Jacobson soon discovered that Cashew’s gourmet tastes weren’t limited to boletes, but also included other expensive fungi, such as oyster mushrooms and morels. Her other cat, Lewis, also seemed to have a taste for mushrooms, as did many of the cats belonging to her friends and relatives. But what was it about these mushrooms that ...
