What's so powerful about mushrooms? Q+A with Radical Mycologist Peter McCoy

CHF: What sparked your initial interest in fungi–were you always playing around in the dirt as a kid? How did you come to be the mushroom guy?

Peter McCoy: I have always been a generally curious person as well as a lover of the outdoors. As an adolescent, I taught myself how to grow vegetables in my family's backyard, and when I was 15 my older brother told me edible mushrooms can also be grown at home. I knew very little about fungi at the time (as did my friends and family members), but I quickly decided this was a mystery I wanted to unravel. After just a short read on the topic and a few attempts at growing mushrooms at home I was hooked not just on growing mushrooms, but on learning everything about their uniqueness and importance in the world.

When I later learned that my skills and knowledge around mycology and mushroom growing could help address major world issues such as pollution, malnutrition, and habitat loss, I made a commitment to myself to spread that information to as many people as possible so that all could benefit from the many gifts of fungi.

CHF: Can you briefly explain the “radical” in “radical mycology”? What’s so revolutionary about the humble mushroom?

Peter McCoy: As most of us learn in school that fungi are largely problematic, the simple notion that mushrooms matter at all is radical to some people! Radical Mycology is a holistic philosophy that challenges this common assumption by using various lessons I have gleaned from studying mycology to offer novel insights into the natural world and humanity's place within it.

If you give fungi a chance, they offer great inspiration for developing deeper relationships with natural world, along with well-seated hope in the power of fungi to address some of our most pressing issues. With the unique and empowering skills of mushroom cultivation, Radical Mycologists can reduce ecological disturbances while creating more sustainable lifestyles, stronger communities, and healthier environments. This is radical shift from the traditional approach of seeing mushrooms as simply something to use for personal benefit. Rather, we work with fungi to enhance the lives of people and the health of the planet. As one of the youngest, least explored, and most important natural sciences, mycology requires a grassroots, radical, or leading edge effort to bring these benefits to the world. All are invited to join the movement!

CHF: Fungi seems to be an under-appreciated piece of the conversation around environmental sustainability. What’s one feasible way fungi could be better harnessed for ecological remediation right now?

Peter McCoy: New research is increasingly proving that molds, yeasts, mushrooms, and lichens are critical components of every ecosystem on Earth. Recent advancements in fungal cultivation are now enabling us to apply those unique fungal functions to human systems to better improve resource management and reduce the impacts of human disturbance on the environment. People around the world can readily benefit from both of these developments by learning to grow gourmet and medicinal mushrooms on their local agricultural wastes (which account for 80–90% of the world's non-woody cultivated crop matter). The development of this much-needed industry will not only provide jobs and nutrient-dense foods worldwide, it will also build soil while reducing the waste, air pollution, and nutrient loss that comes with burning or removing crop resides from farms.

CHF: There are a few different kinds of recipes in your book–one that stood out to us was an Apple and Chanterelle Pie. What are your favorite fungi dishes or elixirs? And what would you recommend for mushroom skeptics?

Peter McCoy: In my experience, many people who don't like eating mushrooms have not eaten them properly cooked. If only flash fried in oil until hot, mushrooms tend to retain a slimy texture that most find unappealing – including myself! By first dry sautéing mushrooms (e.g. cooking them alone in a dry pan over medium heat) until all of their moisture has steamed out, and then adding oil, salt, and a pinch of pepper, most mushrooms dramatically change their texture to a chewier, more meat-like quality. By removing this excess water, the mushroom's flavor is also concentrated, enhancing the savory umami sensation that mushrooms are regarded for. This simple approach is how I like to cook most any mushroom, which I then serve as a side dish or simple garnish, so as to best enjoy the mushroom's qualities in full.

CHF: In addition to your work as a mycologist, you’re also a community organizer, artist, musician, and teacher. Is there something especially inspiring about the intersection of art and science in fungi that informs the other areas of your work?

Peter McCoy: I consider art the creation of culture – a notion I apply to all of my work in mycology. Whether I'm teaching the technical details of fungal ecology, drawing a fungi-infused t-shirt design, or planning out a 500-attendee mycology conference, my work aims to uplift the fungi by inspiring others with the beauty and importance found throughout the Fungal Kingdom. As a life-long artist, I apply a personal aesthetic and sense of humor to offer my unique perspective on the topic. But all of my creations are ultimately inspired by the profoundly and endlessly fascinating fungi themselves. Mushrooms are important, intelligent, and non-stop cool. It's hard for me to not perceive or present them in an honest and creative light when they themselves are so unique and creative.

CHF: Can you talk about some of the collaborative art projects that have evolved out of the Radical Mycology community, such as the Radical Mycology Mixtape? How did these develop and what do they say about the community overall?

Peter McCoy: The Radical Mycology philosophy has been spread largely through an international community of like-minded fungi lovers, artists, and activists. One of the main means for building this community has been through biennial Radical Mycology Convergences, which bring together people from all over the world to celebrate fungi for a weekend alongside hundreds of their peers. Other creative efforts, like our first mixtape, are meant to help sustain and further develop the Radical Mycology community between the Convergences, while also showing how fungi can influence modern human societies. Considering how fun the mixtape was to organize and produce, as well as how well it was received around the world, we are planning to offer similar creative projects in the coming years to help inspire others and to get more people involved in advancing the Radical Mycology paradigm.

CHF: In light of our 2019 focus on the theme of Power….what’s the most powerful mushroom in the world?

Peter McCoy: Tough question! If I had to pick one, it would be the common edible Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus), which hosts all of the traits we cherish about mushrooms. Not only is it delicious when well-cooked, it is also a potent medicinal mushroom that supports the immune system and produces the cholesterol-lowering compound lovastatin. It and its close relatives are found in almost all parts of the world where they are important decomposers of dead trees – a powerful digestive capacity that also enables the mushroom to break down toxins like PAHs, PCBs, petroleum products, and dioxins. On top of all of that, it is one of the easiest mushrooms to grow, readily fruiting on wheat straw, corn cobs, sugar cane waste, peanut shells, and dozens of other common agricultural residues. All is all, it's one of best mushrooms to learn about and celebrate!

Header photo credit: Marshal Hedin CC BY-SA 2.0

Watch Radical Mycologist Peter McCoy's CHF program about the power of mushrooms.