The chanterelle season in the Balkans has now officially begun. "The first deliveries from Macedonia arrived a week later than last year, in week 20. Deliveries from Serbia are now also gradually picking up speed. Demand was still somewhat subdued in the first week of sales, but we are seeing a pleasing increase in demand at the beginning of week 21. This is also in line with the trend of recent years, with sales tending to pick up earlier. Basically, we are finding that chanterelles are seamlessly replacing asparagus," reports mushroom wholesaler Ramazan Gülnar, managing director of Paris Direkt GmbH.
According to Gülnar, prices are roughly at the same level as last year. Parallel to the increasing volumes, a gradual price reduction is expected in the coming weeks. "We could have continued to offer chanterelles from Spain and Portugal, which are much cheaper, but we ended the Iberian season in week 19 because the quality is less stable compared to Balkan products."
Early chanterelles
Optimal climate conditions
The quality so far has been encouraging, Gülnar continues. "The first few trucks are dominated by slightly smaller produce, so medium-sized chanterelles are few and far between. However, this will change after the first few weeks of sales. At the same time, we are seeing that the first deliveries, especially from Macedonia, are of excellent quality. This is also thanks to the slightly lighter variety that is primarily found in Macedonia. However, the best quality produce is still found in Bulgaria."
In Bulgaria, wild harvesting is expected to begin in calendar weeks 22-23, about two weeks later than last year. Gülnar: "The winter was quite cold throughout the Balkans with a lot of snow, which had a positive effect on the water table, a crucial factor for the growth of wild mushrooms. Another cold front followed the warm April. It is currently raining in large parts of the Balkan region, so collectors can only harvest on dry days. All in all, however, conditions are ideal for chanterelles this year." The same applies to Poland and Lithuania, according to Gülnar, who recently visited several collection areas in both countries. "Here, too, the forecasts for quantities and quality are consistently promising. The first deliveries from Poland and Lithuania are expected in calendar weeks 24-25 and 26, respectively."
Morels and St. Georg's mushrooms
Paris Direkt GmbH, based in Münster, is considered an established point of contact for all kinds of wild mushrooms, including morels. "We start in January with cultivated morels from China, and were able to offer Turkish produce from week 16 this year, closely followed by products from Bosnia. However, we have already withdrawn from the market because we were no longer satisfied with the quality and shelf life of the produce. We have noticed that they are increasingly being collected in areas that have been ravaged by forest fires. This is understandable, as morels are quite difficult to collect, and the wild mushrooms are more visible and therefore easier to harvest in these areas. Unfortunately, however, this also negatively impacts the shelf life of the product." Starting next year, the company will offer cultivated morels from Kosovo for the first time.
The company's seasonal wild mushroom selection is rounded off by St. Georg's mushrooms, which are also sourced from the Balkan region. "This is a rather exquisite mushroom variety that is mainly used in high-end restaurants. As the name suggests, it was originally considered a seasonal mushroom that was only available in May. Depending on the weather, it is now available for a little longer, and we expect to be able to offer it until early to mid-June this year."
St. Georg's mushrooms
For more information:
Ramazan Gülnar
Paris Direkt GmbH
Lise-Meitner Straße 7b
48161 Münster
Tel: 02534 977540
Fax: 02534 977541
[email protected]
www.paris-direkt.net