SOMA Groups are subsets of SOMA members who share special interests in working with mushrooms, from cooking to growing to identifying them. One of the benefits of being a SOMA member is the opportunity to join the groups and share these interests with others.
Culinary Group
Sautéing chanterelles.
Photo © Darvin DeShazer.
The SOMA Culinary Group is a bunch of food professionals and amateur devotees focused on squeezing the most flavor out of their mushrooms. They learn about flavor components and pairing mushrooms with complementary ingredients and wines, while enjoying the company of others who share their passions for foraging and cooking with wild mushrooms.
Members expand their knowledge of cooking with wild mushrooms through a variety of activities:
- cooking classes
- tastings
- social dinners on field trips
- planning and preparing several of the meals for SOMA Camp.
Get involved today by joining the SOMA Culinary Yahoo Group! (SOMA membership required.)
Cultivation Group
Shiitake (Lentinula edodes)
photo © Dan Harriman
The SOMA Cultivation Group focuses on the joy and fun—as well as the practicality—of growing your own mushrooms at home. The group educates the public about cultivating mushrooms, and makes kits to help people get started. Cultivating some species can be challenging, so why not join with fellow enthusiasts and get started on the right foot?
For more info, contact the group leader Benjamin Schmid, (707) 575-4778.
Get involved today by joining the SOMA Cultivation Yahoo Group! (SOMA membership not required.)
West Coast Mushroom Identification Group
Dermocybe phoenicea var. occidentalis
photo © Darvin DeShazer
The SOMA West Coast Mushroom Identification is an online Yahoo group devoted to digital photos of mushrooms and other fungi. Members post mushroom photos and help each other with identification.
Mushroom identification can be tricky, and joining this group is a great way to strengthen your identification chops. And while getting an exact ID from a photo alone is difficult, the group can often at least point you in the right direction. Of course, you should never eat a mushroom identified only from photos.
Get involved today by joining the SOMA West Coast Mushroom Identification Yahoo Group! (SOMA membership not required.)
