Weekly Photo Challenge: A Good Match

Location: Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
 
In 2015, I was hiking in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland when I saw this red-colored beauty. I’d never seen anything like it, so I took its picture.

Location: Elvesæter, Lom, Oppland, Norway
 
In 2016, I was hiking in Elvesæter in Lom, Oppland, Norway when, to my surprise, I encountered its long lost cousin. What were the odds?

After some research, I discovered that it’s called Amanita muscaria, a mushroom classified as poisonous due to its psychoactive compound called muscimol. Some cultures have learned to eat it by weakening its toxicity. This is done by putting it in boiling water until it’s partially cooked.

I also learned that it’s a very common fungus found in the Northern Hemisphere known for a variety of uses like insecticide, intoxicant, and entheogen. Perhaps the reason why I didn’t notice it before was because I wasn’t paying attention. Sometimes, I tend to look but don’t see.

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