Every year, mushrooms delight the residents of Transbaikalia with a variety of tastes and aromas. The usefulness of the fruits of the forest makes mushroom pickers return to the forest again and again. Quiet hunting from mid-spring to the end of autumn allows you to prepare dishes and provisions for the winter without spending extra money. Varieties of noble porcini mushrooms, “snotty” boletus mushrooms, delicious chanterelles, white milk mushrooms and other equally popular species grow in the forests every year. So 2022 was no exception to the rule! Favorite mushroom places are already waiting for their guests...
Slyudyanka village
There is a daily train to Slyudyanka from the Irkutsk-Passazhirsky – Slyudyanka-1 railway station. Boletuses, boletuses, boletuses, chanterelles, milk mushrooms, and trumpet mushrooms grow in the forests near a small village. This is a beautiful corner filled with the cleanest air and the captivating aroma of coniferous trees.
There is a common misconception that chanterelles cannot be worm-like, but this is not true - collected specimens should always be checked before cooking. The insect passages inside the fruiting bodies are green and clearly visible against the background of the mushroom.
Useful tips for beginner mushroom pickers
- 1 tip - friend
For people who prefer to lead an active lifestyle and decide to change a boring hobby to a useful and very exciting one, professionals advise not to go into the forest alone. For the first time, it is better to go on a “quiet hunt” with friends or relatives who are well versed in mushrooms. After all, even the edible fruits of the forest have twin brothers with a poisonous and inedible filling that is not suitable for consumption or canning.
- Tip 2 – encyclopedia
To know the “victim” by sight, you need to read the description, name and photo of the mushrooms printed on the pages of the encyclopedia. This approach will allow you to maintain your health by remembering the distinctive features of the same oil can when collecting.
- Tip 3 – compass or GPS
To avoid getting lost in the forest and get back onto the road, just take a compass with you. It will help you navigate the area without the help of fellow mushroom pickers passing by.
If you decide to go into the forest by car, it is best to leave the car at the entrance. Otherwise, mushroom pickers risk not only getting lost themselves, but also losing their acquired property in an area unknown to them. When leaving the car, you should leave a point on the phone map so that you can return back without any problems.
Where are mushrooms collected in the Irkutsk region in 2022
The forest strip near the small village of Steklyanka is famous for porcini mushrooms, chanterelles, and boletuses; gardening bus No. 117 “Steklyanka – Aviazavod” runs here every day.
- A popular place for collecting local mushrooms is Glubokaya Pad (near Baikal). In these remote areas there are many boletus, boletus and milk mushrooms.
- Urban mushroom pickers do not venture far. Popular places are along the Baikal Highway up to the 20th kilometer.
- A lot of cars along the roadsides is a sure sign of productive areas. Such busy places can be found along the route to the Oka River, behind the villages of Nikolsk and Kudareika.
- Oek, Nikolsk. In this area you can collect boletus, boletus and boletus.
- You can get to Saiguta from Irkutsk by bus. Basically there is a lot of oil here.
- You can get to Listvyanka along the Baikal Highway by bus "Irkutsk - Listvyanka", departure daily according to the schedule. Boletus, milk mushrooms and trumpets are collected here.
- Spike mushrooms also include white mushrooms; they are collected quite far from Irkutsk, in Nizhneudinsk.
- There are also places where there are fewer porcini mushrooms, but they are closer: Khomutovo and Usolsky district, the village of Gorokhovo. In the forest outside the village you can find milk mushrooms in August, and a little earlier - ordinary russula and obabka.
“Mushroom time on Baikal” (9 days + air)
| DAY 1 (Saturday) | The day of the start of the journey and acquaintance with Baikal. We propose to start it from the village of Listvyanka. Perhaps one of the oldest Russian settlements on the shores of the great lake has turned into a tourist center, where for every resident there are several attractions, cafes and hotels, and several hundred tourists. On the way, a visit to the Taltsy architectural and ethnographic museum, where you can not only see the wooden architecture and life of the peoples of the Baikal region, but also take part in traditional winter fun: ride on skins from a real Russian roller coaster, ride a sleigh or troika, or walk on stilts. In Listvyanka, we invite you to take a sightseeing tour of the village with a visit to the observation deck at the famous Shaman Stone, listen to the romantic legend about Baikal, and visit the existing Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - the patron saint of all travelers and sailors. Those who want to learn more about Baikal can go on an excursion to the Baikal Ecological Museum (additional), where many exhibits are collected that tell about the inhabitants of Baikal; they can even be seen live in aquariums located in the museum. You should end the day with a visit to the souvenir market adjacent to the fish rows, where you will be offered the whole variety of Baikal fish prepared in various ways. | 10:00 – Group gathering at the Irkutsk airport. Excursion to the Taltsy Museum. Excursion to the village. Listvyanka (65 km). Lunch at a cafe. Return to Irkutsk. Hotel accommodation. Free time. (incl. meals: lunch) |
| DAY 2 (Sunday) | After breakfast, we take a minibus to Olkhon Island along a road that runs through the steppes past ancient Buryat villages, through the picturesque spurs of the Baikal Range, the Siberian taiga, which then again gives way to the Mongolian landscapes of the Tazheran steppe. Crossing to Olkhon - the largest of the 26 islands of Baikal, its geographical, historical and sacred center, even in its shape reminiscent of the outlines of the lake. You will see both the “Small” and “Big” seas - two parts of Baikal, separated by Olkhon, and the famous Olkhon Gate strait, which runs between the island and the mainland. Another 40 kilometers around the island and you are in the village of Khuzhir - the capital of the island. Your afternoon activity will be a walking sightseeing tour of the surrounding area: a walk through the village of Khuzhir, a visit to the sacred Cape Burkhan (Shaman Rock) - one of the 9 shrines of Asia, equally revered by shamanists, Buddhists and Lamaists. Excursion to the local history museum, where a collection of ancient objects reflecting the life and culture of the islanders is presented. After a busy day of travel experiences and a first acquaintance with the island, sleep in the fresh air of a wooden house will be deep and long. | Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Olkhon Island by regular transport. (320 km, ~ 7 hours). Walking tour. Accommodation at the camp site. Dinner at the camp site. Night at the camp site. (incl. meals: breakfast, dinner) |
| DAY 3 (Monday) | Collecting saffron milk caps and butter mushrooms in the surrounding forests. In the evening, a master class from local residents on processing and pickling collected mushrooms. *Rizhik - a gentle, affectionate and kind name - was given to this mushroom for its wonderful taste. It is impossible to talk about these mushrooms without a diminutive form. Rizhik is a first category mushroom, one of the most delicious mushrooms. It is consumed fresh, salted, canned and pickled, retaining its bright orange color when pickled. Many believe that fried saffron milk caps are in no way inferior in taste to mushrooms prepared using old methods. | Breakfast at the camp site. Camping lunch. Dinner at the camp site. Night at the camp site. (incl. meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner) |
| DAY 4 (Tuesday) | Collecting saffron milk caps and butter mushrooms in the surrounding forests. In the evening, a master class from local residents on processing and pickling collected mushrooms. *How can you not love boletus, which is so pleasant to “hunt” in the forest, and then enjoy its taste at home? By the way, these are not only tasty, but also healthy mushrooms. Many avid mushroom pickers consider boletus to be the best of mushrooms. They were popularly called late butterdish, yellow butterdish, maslukh, zheltik, chalysh. The cap of this mushroom is covered with mucus and shines in the sun, as if smeared with oil, which is why the mushroom is called an oil can. Collecting them is a real pleasure, because they grow in large families. Their favorite place is in young coniferous and deciduous forests, in clearings where there is a lot of sunlight. | Breakfast at the camp site. Camping lunch. Dinner at the camp site. Night at the camp site. (incl. meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner) |
| DAY 5 (Wednesday) | After breakfast at the camp site, we take a minibus to Irkutsk. In the evening, having checked into a hotel and rested from the road, you can walk along the streets of evening Irkutsk and gain strength before the second no less exciting part of the program. | Breakfast at the camp site. Transfer to Irkutsk by regular transport (320 km, ~ 7 hours). Hotel accommodation. Overnight at the hotel. (incl. meals: breakfast) |
| DAY 6 (Thursday) | Today you will have to travel by car: first along the picturesque Kultuk highway to the village of Kultuk, and then along the road passing through a wide valley between two mountain ranges: on the left - Khamar-Daban, on the right - the Eastern Sayan Mountains. In this unique Tunkinskaya valley you can see young volcanoes and old Buryat yurts, the gray peaks of the Tunkinsky Goltsy against the backdrop of a piercing blue sky. After driving 120 km along the valley, we find ourselves in the village of Arshan, located at the foot of the overhanging mountain peaks. It is better to take a tour of the village on foot, then you can see those details and little things of the local way of life that are not noticeable from the bus window. You will walk along the forest road to the datsan - a Buddhist temple, where you will be told about its history, rules of behavior in datsans, Buddhism in Buryatia. Then visit the healing mineral springs (take a mug or even a plastic bottle with you), the picturesque mountain river Kyngarga, stroll through the park of the Arshan resort with its natural monuments, pick up a souvenir at the interesting market, where souvenir rows coexist with sellers of local medicinal herbs literally from all diseases. An easy trek through the Kyngargi Canyon will allow you to enjoy landscapes that can only be seen in winter: a fast-moving river seething under thick transparent ice, bizarre splashes on the rocks, reminiscent of fairy-tale palaces, bridges and grottoes. | Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer Irkutsk – Arshan (210 km). Hotel accommodation. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel. (incl. meals: breakfast, dinner) |
| DAY 7 (Friday) | Collecting milk mushrooms and other types of mushrooms in the surrounding forests. In the evening, a master class from local residents on processing and pickling collected mushrooms. *If champignons are native French mushrooms, then milk mushrooms are Russian mushrooms. Only Slavic peoples called these mushrooms, and still call them to this day, milk mushrooms. The secret of the popular popularity of milk mushrooms is the annual abundance of mushrooms and, of course, the method of preparation - salting. They prefer to prepare other milk mushroom dishes from pre-salted mushrooms. | Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the forest Camping lunch. Dinner at the hotel. (incl. meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner) |
| DAY 8 (Saturday) | Collecting milk mushrooms, boletus and other types of mushrooms in the surrounding forests. In the evening, a master class from local residents on processing and pickling collected mushrooms. *Mushroom lovers believe that boletus ranks second after boletus in terms of taste. Boletus mushrooms are used boiled and fried; they are also suitable for pickling and pickling. They are very tasty as a filling for pizza, rolls, pies and other baked goods. And if boletus mushrooms are dried and ground into powder, it will be an excellent basis for preparing mushroom gravies and sauces. | Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the forest Camping lunch. Dinner at the hotel. (incl. meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner) |
| DAY 9 (Sunday) | After breakfast at the hotel, transfer by regular bus to Irkutsk. | Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by regular tourist transport to Irkutsk (210 km, ~ 5 hours). (incl. meals: breakfast) |
Duration: 9 days/8 nights
Participant requirements/age restrictions:
Both beginners and experienced tourists can take part in the tour;
Children accompanied by adults are allowed to participate in the tour without restrictions;
Tour cost: 48,000 rubles
Supplement for single occupancy in hotels: RUB 13,200.
The tour price includes:
— hotel accommodation in Irkutsk (2 nights), Arshan (3 nights), Olkhon (3 nights) on a double occupancy basis;
— meals according to the program;
— all transfers according to the program;
— services of local guides for excursion programs;
— entrance tickets to museums according to the program (except for those indicated for an additional fee);
— accompaniment by instructors during mushroom picking;
— master classes on pickling mushrooms;
— necessary equipment (jars, lids, spices).
Additional payment: air ticket Moscow-Irkutsk-Moscow from 20,000 rubles. (Attention! The cost is approximate) accommodation beyond the duration of stay indicated in the tour; meals are not included in the tour price; alcoholic drinks; services offered in hotels and tourist centers and not included in the program; any changes to the program that entail additional costs. Tour Features
Children accompanied by adults are allowed to participate in the tour without restrictions;
Attention! Departure for the route is carried out at the time indicated above. If a tourist is late, the transport departs without him .
The difference between Moscow time and local time (Irkutsk) is +5 hours. Part of the route passes through a sparsely populated area, deprived of some of the benefits of civilization, so you need to be prepared for the journey, as well as for possible weather changes.
Each tourist, in addition to an identity document, based on the need to ensure security, must have a photocopy of the passport, at least the first page and the registration page, a voucher or a document replacing it (voucher, etc.).
Additional Information:
Transport delivery:
We meet you in Irkutsk (at the airport) and deliver you to your route. The move is carried out by vehicle. The tour program ends in the city center.
Meals and accommodation:
During the urban parts of the tour in Listvyanka and Irkutsk, accommodation is provided in comfortable hotels at least level 2** in double rooms, meals in restaurants/cafes. In Utulik and Arshan, accommodation in comfortable camp sites in double rooms, meals in a cafe.
Meals along the route are standard all-inclusive, including dishes from both classical and traditional local cuisine, from meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products, etc. If you are a vegetarian or simply do not eat meat/fish, please notify us in advance - this In this case, we will replace the diet without additional payment. Other menu changes, individual meals for special diets or ordering dishes beyond the set menu at your request are possible in agreement with the on-site chefs, depending on the nature of the changes - for an additional fee or without it.
You need to take with you:
Comfortable shoes for hiking excursions and light slippers (slippers). Sunglasses and cream, sun cap, swimwear. A set of things in case of cool weather, rain or wind: a set of warm clothes, a jacket, a rain cape. Personal hygiene items, individual medications (related to health conditions). It is recommended to take a camera or video camera with you - you will have something to remember on long winter evenings and show to your friends.
Discipline on the route:
For objective reasons (bad weather, recommendations of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, a threat to the life and health of tourists, etc.), the tour operator has the right to independently change the direction and schedule of the route. The tourist is obliged to observe safety precautions and obey the representatives of the tour operator.
Safety:
There is active sun near Baikal and in the mountains, so you need to use sunglasses, sunscreen, and do not overuse sunbathing or swimming in Baikal and mountain rivers. On the route there are poisonous plants: hemlock, wrestler, hellebore and raven's eye, poisonous mushrooms: toadstool and fly agaric, you need to beware of ticks (mainly active from May to mid-June).
Tourist responsibility:
In case of violation of public order and generally accepted norms when traveling in transport, a representative of the travel agency (driver) has the right to drop off the violator at the nearest traffic police post. In this case, compensation for the cost of the voucher and transport travel will not be made. In case of breakdown or loss of property received for temporary use during the tour, the tourist will reimburse the full cost of the property. If any claims regarding service arise, you must immediately contact a representative of the tour operator; if it is impossible to correct the deficiencies, draw up a report in writing and have it signed by a representative of the tour operator. When a tourist stops the route or leaves part of the route, the tour is considered completed for him.
Special information:
- Children accompanied by adults are allowed to participate in the tour without restrictions.
- We kindly ask you to respect the cultural and historical values, traditions, and customs of the indigenous population.
- We ask you to protect nature and comply with environmental measures.
- Persons who need constant medical supervision are not recommended to travel along the route.
When to pick mushrooms in the vicinity of Irkutsk
The season begins in May-June, the height begins in August. The collection ends at the end of October with the search for mushrooms that tolerate cold well and grow even when there are no other mushrooms left - these are winter honey mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes). They are resistant to frost, which is not typical for many other mushrooms, which simply die at sub-zero temperatures.
Winter honey mushrooms grow in large groups on dead trunks of various deciduous trees (usually aspens, poplars, willows), as well as on living trees. Flammulina begins to grow from the first October frosts, bears fruit throughout late autumn and winter during the thaw.
What mushrooms grow in the Irkutsk region
The Irkutsk region pleases mushroom picking lovers with a rich harvest. In addition to berries, there are many mushroom places in the region, where from mid-July you can collect so-called “spikelets” - summer types of mushrooms that appear simultaneously with ears of wheat.
Spike mushrooms also include white mushrooms; they are collected quite far from Irkutsk, in Nizhneudinsk. There are also places where there are fewer porcini mushrooms, but they are closer: Khomutovo and Usolsky district, the village of Gorokhovo. In the forest outside the village you can find milk mushrooms in August, and a little earlier - ordinary russula and obabka.
Boletus, boletus and boletus are found near the villages of Markovo, Shamanka and Olkha, as well as near the village of Bolshoi Lug. White milk mushrooms can also be found there, but there are few of them in this area, unlike Arshan. Honey mushrooms grow almost everywhere, including Vydrino and Bayandai. In Bayandai, large and sweet blueberries are harvested; in Vydrino, blueberries and lingonberries grow in abundance. Most mushroom places are located outside of Angarsk.
If you're going into the forest, put on a protective suit!
Mikhail Bolobnov, manager of the ZabaikalSPETSOZhDA store:
— People who like frequent and long walks in the forest will need a protective suit against ticks and blood-sucking insects. Anti-encephalitis suits differ from ordinary hiking suits by the presence of mechanical traps, a mosquito net with a zipper and thick cuffs. Often, costume models are treated with a special substance that repels insects.
Author: Valeria Dashieva, Svetlana Namsaraeva
Where in the Irkutsk region you can’t buy mushrooms
The Baikal State Natural Biosphere Reserve is visited by more than 5,000 people a year. In areas included in the restricted zone, fishing, hunting, and picking mushrooms and berries are prohibited. Travelers by car, you must comply with the requirements of the water protection zone.
Entry into the reserve outside of secured cordons is prohibited. This is punishable by a fine. There is an international volunteer camp in the prohibited prison, where you can work for food, accommodation and free excursions.
