Jemez Springs Library hosting porcini mushroom discussion

JEMEZ SPRINGS — A local author will discuss the history, foraging and culinary use of the New Mexico porcini mushroom at 10 a.m. Aug. 9 at the Jemez Springs Public Library.

David F. Menicucci, a longtime mushroom gatherer, will talk bout the porcini’s appeal to local Italians.

“David Menicucci has been gathering the famous NM porcini for over 70 years,” a release on the event states. “He tells the story of how the mushroom became a major cultural attraction for local Italians, how they foraged for it in the Jemez, preserved it and used it in local cuisine.”

It adds that recipes will be included with the talk. Additionally, there is an optional mushroom foraging trip to the local mountains with experts from the NM Mycological Society after the talk.

More information about the mushroom and its Italian origins can be found in Menicucci’s book, “Two Centuries to Freedom: The True Story of One Family’s Two Century Migration from Lucca, Italy to New Mexico.”