Delheim Estate’s Wild Mushroom Forage returns

From blushers to dyeballs and laughing gyms to deceivers – that’s the fungus in store, and more, now that the splendid hunt for wild mushrooms at Delheim Estate in Stellenbosch is back.

Re-emerging from the dark like the delicious forest treats, the renowned, family-owned winery once again presents its expert tutored excursions during the season’s annual short window.

So, if you’re keen to participate, you’ll have to jump. But not only because mushrooms only appear for a short time after the winter’s first rains, when conditions are just right. In fact, it’s because the Delheim Wild Mushroom Forage will take place for members of the public on one day only – the public holiday of 16 June (Youth Day).

The great news for this year is that signed-up foragers will again learn at hand of the host duo that has made this a highlight of the Cape winelands for 15 years. Delheim’s Nora Thiel was raised in a home that regularly foraged for mushrooms, and she’ll be joined by author and specialist Gary Goldman. Both master mycophiles, adept in the art of finding the fungi!
Apart from the quality of tuition and fun experience overall, the Delheim Wild Mushroom Forage is supremely popular for the forest where the toadstools sprout. It is here that the fungus thrives undisturbed, weaving its threads beneath the forest floor, transforming organic matter into healthy soil.

In fact, edible mushrooms themselves are often linked with health benefits and some cultures even claim they possess a supernatural aura. Whatever their magic, many specimens are sumptuous as a dish, with some of the finest examples located at Delheim.