La Oreyona
In the States, if you say "mushroom", the image that pops into pretty much anyone's head is a white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). They are the default mushroom for Americans. In Spain, if you say seta, this is the mushroom that pops to mind. As ubiquitous in Spain as button mushrooms are in the States, Asturians still love foraging for them rather than buying them in the store.
La Oreyona In Asturian Cuisine
A mainstay of Asturian food throughout summer and autumn, la oreyona keeps foragers busy when other mushrooms are underground biding their time. Dead and dying oak trees throughout the Asturian forests play host to these grey beauties.
While mushroom foraging has ancient roots in Asturias, finding mushrooms on a menu in a restaurant is a relatively recent development.[1] Indeed, we can pinpoint the time and the place where mushrooms became an acceptable part of restaurant dining in Asturias. Restaurant La Quirosana in Oviedo began featuring mushroom dishes in the 1980s, followed by chef José Luis González at Bodega Fantástica in Gijón. Now they are found everywhere, in every conceivable dish, both at home and at the finest tables.
La Oreyona in particular is a mainstay of home cooking in Asturias, as it is in most of Spain. The popular cookbooks of the region contain sections dedicated to mushroom dishes, most of which call for Oreyonas (or setas depending on their linguistic audience)
Substitutions
There is no need to search for substitutions for one of the world's favorite mushrooms. Sure, you'll pay a bit more in the States than we do here, but what you'll buy is exactly the same.
Recipes
No recipes currently use La Oreyona
- ↑ Méndez Sidra Riestra, Eduardo. Sabores de Asturias: productos, cocina y tradiciones. pp 309. Nobel, 2013.
