A Fly Agaric family of three; a beautiful and photogenic mushroom that it is considered toxic but not deadly.
The common name of this mushroom comes from the medieval practice of breaking up the caps and leaving them in milk to stupefy flies. This mushroom also has hallucinogenic properties which the Lapps have used traditionally in ceremonies and even to round up reindeer who seem to love them.
Considered very toxic in most modern field guides, however apparently in the distant past it was frequently consumed in parts of Europe, Asia and North America after preparation.
Scientific studies show that there are methods to efficiently remove the toxins and render it safe for consumption, which explains its use in the past. This is something that most people were unaware of until recently and doesn’t seem to be common knowledge among modern fungi foragers; however, I certainly won't be trying them!
