Amanita Muscaria

Amanita Muscaria (the Fly Agaric Mushroom) is JLF's most popular item; the star attraction of this catalog. It is the genuine red and white spotted toadstool of world-wide notoriety. Yet many people today do not even realize it to be a true living plant, only knowing it from its caricature in children's fairy-tale books, on greeting cards, kitchen towels, key chains, curtains, wallpaper, as candles, ceramics and other various assorted nic-nacs and what-nots. It is a most beautiful creation of nature and can only be found growing there; it can not be fruited in the lab. When it comes to hunting, this mushroom can be most elusive. It is generally considered to be very mysterious. It is, at least, absolutely unique.

The late R. Gordon Wasson identified it as the Soma of the Rg Veda; the first Hindus worshipped it as a god. The late John M. Allegro proved that the original Christianity/Judaism also worshipped it by deciphering that the bible is full of mushroom puns and word plays; many proper names in the Bible are actually ancient folk names for this mushroom. The Amanita muscaria has probably had more common (folk) names given to it than any other life form throughout history. Many of these names have been clouded in secrecy and confusion for theorized reasons. The Fly Agaric seems to have played some very significant roles in many ancient cultures in some incredibly fascinating ways. In brief, it appears to have served as a symbol for fertility, good fortune, health, wealth and happiness (physical and spiritual).

Mycologists have so far named six different taxonomic variations. These sub-species names are muscaria (red cap), flavivolvata (red-orange cap), regalis (red-brown cap), formosa (yellow-orange cap), persicina (melon cap) and alba (whitish cap). Each variation usually has its own geographical growth range. The mushrooms have been mechanically warm-air dried at under 110 degrees F using an original technique developed by JLF for large amounts. This technique, which preserves the mushrooms in the most perfect condition possible, requires slicing for efficiency. The stems have also been detached from the caps but are packaged together at the original ratio of about one to two (by weight).