France: Mushroom Caves near Saumur

The caves around Saumur are not only used for wine, this is the premier mushroom producing region in the world supply all of France and most of Europe with mushrooms. It’s not something you see every day – long rows of mushrooms growing in the darkness of caves. Besides the typical buttoncap mushroom, several other types are grown – shiitake, oyster mushroom, pied bleu, and several others which I haven’t seen or eaten before. One of the caves is a Museum of Mushrooms, displaying a wide variety of species and also the cultivation rooms. Another cave has a restaurant where you can sample all these mushrooms in a variety of delicious recipes.