Reindeer lichen

Cladonia rangiferina, C. stellaris

mushroom

A branched gray-white lichen, soaked or boiled to remove its bitterness, then fried into crispy chips by Nordic chefs.

Origin

Tundra and boreal forests (Lapland, Canada)

Where to find it

It grows a few millimeters a year: take only a little, leaving the mat in place; Finland also sells it, dried, to florists all over Europe.

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

Always soaked or boiled with the water discarded before cooking: raw, its bitter acids irritate the stomach. Never picked near roads or polluted sites: it concentrates metals and radioactivity.

Molecules

Mushroom beta-glucansIn small amounts, not counted Mucilages

Did you know?

It is the reindeer's winter food; northern peoples ate the half-digested lichen found in their stomachs.