Here we see interviewed an indigenous Yanomami researcher, an anthropologist, and top chef and founder of the ATÁ Institute, Alex Atala, regarding a project dedicated to commercializing some of the indigenous harvest of mushrooms in the Roraima region of Brazil. Alex has been one of the leading figures in popularising wild foods within Brazil, something that has become somewhat of an explosive social movement, effectively bridging the gastronomy and agroecology scenes, since publication of an expansive identification and recipe book in 2014 (Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais (PANC) do Brasil – Valderley Kinuppi & Harri Lorenzi). It is exciting to start to see the fruits of this movement which has created a large market of eager and adventurous ethical consumers, making possible social projects such as the one described in the video below, that give-back to traditional populations who hold such knowledge.
I have transcribed and translated into English the below short video that looks at a project promoted by the ‘Instituto Socioambiental’ (Socioenvironmental Institute) in Brazil, regarding the commercialisation of dried mushrooms by the Yanomami indigenous people.
"You don’t have the knowledge we have about mushrooms"
Socio-environmental Institute - ISA
Transcript & translation of video:
“Vocês não têm o conhecimento que temos sobre cogumelos”
Instituto Socioambiental – ISA.
A ciência até hoje na o sabe definir se um congumelo é comestível ou não.
Os Yanomami sabem.
Eles sabem identificar 15 espécies diferentes.
Esse conhecimento alimenta as comunidades há séculos.
E ajuda a manter a floresta em pé.
Cogumelo Yamomami Sanöma.
Esta região de floresta de montanha é Awaris, na Terra Indígena Yanomami.
Aqui habitam os Yanomami conhecidos como Sanöma.
São 3 mil pessoas dividas em 20 comunidades.
É nessa região que atuam os pesquisadores indígenas
que estão trazendo os cogumelos Yanomami da floresta para nossa mesa.
Marinaldo Sanöma, liderança e pesquisadora indígena:
“Vocês sabem sobre nossa existência, mas não tem o conhecimento que temos sobre os cogumelos comestíveis. Como é esse conhecimento? Como coletamos? Como preparamos para comer? É o que queremos mostrar a vocês na o-indígenas.”
Moreno Saraiva, antropólogo do Instituto Socioambiental:
“Cogumelo é fruto do manejo da roça deles. Derrubam roça, as arvores caim, eles botam fogo, nas folhas e nas arvores menores, mas os galhos maiores, os troncos, ficam inteiros e em nesses troncos, é o que vêm os cogumelos. É aí, são os frutos basicamente do manejo da roça.”
Alex Atala, chef de cozinha e fundador do Instituto ATÁ:
“Este aqui é talvez um dos mais potentes pelo projeto. Ele é um
Lentino hafanica*, um dos parentes mais próximo do Shitake. E traz um sabor, uma textura, e qualidades, até uma abundância na floresta, um dos mais importantes pela gente”.
Em menos de um ano, foram produzidos 100kg de cogumelos secos. O que significa uma tonelada de cogumelos frescos. Que chegaram ao Mercado de Pinheiros, em São Paulo que abastecem os restaurantes com o sabor do Cogumelo Yanomami geram renda para os comunidades e fortalecem a proteção de seu território ameaçados por constantes invasões garimpeiras.
Compre o Cogumelo Yanomami no Mercado de Pinheiros, em Sãp Paulo, e na loja online do ISA. Loja.socioambiental.org
"You don’t have the knowledge we have about mushrooms"
Socio-environmental Institute - ISA.
Science to this day does not know how to define whether a mushroom is edible or not. The Yanomami know. They know how to identify 15 different species. This knowledge has nurtured communities for centuries. And it helps keep the forest standing.
Yamomami Sanöma Mushroom.
This mountain forest region is Awaris, in the Yanomami Indigenous Land.
Here live the Yanomami known as Sanöma.
There are 3,000 people divided into 20 communities.
It is in this region that indigenous researchers work
who are bringing the Yanomami mushrooms from the forest to our table.
Marinaldo Sanöma, indigenous leader and researcher:
"You know about our existence, but you do not have the knowledge we have about edible mushrooms. How is this knowledge? How do we gather? How do we prepare to eat? That's what we want to show you, the non-natives. "
Moreno Saraiva, anthropologist of the Socio-environmental Institute:
"Mushrooms are the fruit of the management of their fields. They deforest the fields, the trees fall, they set fire to the leaves and the smaller trees, but the larger branches, the trunks, remain whole, and in these trunks the mushrooms appear. So, the harvest basically comes from the management of the fields."
Alex Atala, chef and founder of the ATÁ Institute:
"This one is perhaps one of the most potential ones of the project. It is a
Lentino hafanica*, one of Shitake's closest relatives. And it boasts flavour, texture, and nutrients, right up to an abundance in the forest, one of the most important for us. "
In less than a year, 100kg of dried mushrooms were produced. Which means a ton of fresh mushrooms. Which were delivered to the Pinheiros Market in São Paulo that supply the restaurants with the flavour of the Yanomami Mushroom,
generate income for communities and strengthen the protection of their territory threatened by constant invasions by miners.
Buy the Yanomami Mushroom at the Pinheiros Market, in São Paulo, and at the ISA online store. loja.socioambiental.org
*I'm not 100% I transcribed this scientific name accurately.
Please see further related videos and stories here (not translated):
http://g1.globo.com/globo-news/via-brasil/videos/v/via-brasil-chef-alex-atala-conhece-o-manejo-do-cogumelo-yanomami-em-aldeia-indigena/5932428/
http://revistagloborural.globo.com/Noticias/Agricultura/noticia/2017/03/indios-yanomami-vendem-cogumelos-para-restaurante-sofisticado-de-sao-paulo.html
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