The quality of the mushrooms is checked closely, as high-end restaurants usually also want to offer their patrons a visual experience.
Mushrooms grown by expert hands
Mirko Kalkum grows the best edible mushrooms. They taste sensational and are a real treat for the eyes.
When it comes to mushrooms, Mirko Kalkum definitely knows what he’s talking about. He studied biology in Münster, obtained his diploma and spent a good chunk of his studies on mushrooms and fungi and the plant diseases that they cause in wheat and rye. Life and love then took him to Saarbrücken, where he started working in the pharmaceutical industry, selling lipid reducers for people with high cholesterol. As this medication started to be more and more regulated in Germany and his job was at risk, he thought back to his expertise. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), shiitake mushrooms are used to treat high cholesterol. They help to reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed and metabolised by the intestine.
How a curiosity became a career
Mirko started experimenting with mushrooms to produce a naturopathic medicine. “I quickly realised that, due to the regulations, this would be very expensive and would take a long time.” In the meantime, his mushrooms kept growing. The decisive day came when a neighbour, a buyer for a local shop, popped by to take a look at what he was doing. He had heard that Mirko was growing mushrooms and wanted to see if he could buy some. He could, and just like that Mirko had a new job.
Whether it’s pink oysters, nameko, shiitake or, again, pink oysters (in the crate, clockwise) – every mushroom is different and grows differently.
![[Translate to English:] Pilzzucht](/fileadmin/bilder/Media/WORK/Ausgabe_28/Pilzzucht_02_1700x1200.jpg)
Fresh from the stollen
He started out growing mushrooms in the cellar of a converted barn and a greenhouse, then moved into a long but narrow tunnel measuring around 200 square metres that used to be used by the fire brigade. “Shiitake mushrooms have very specific requirements,” explains Mirko. “This only became clear to me over time. I started by concentrating on well-known mushrooms, because I wanted to sell them locally, without a middleman and freshly harvested.”
Supply and demand
The demanding restaurateurs in Saarland quickly realised what a treasure Mirko had – but they were also just as quick to let him know that they wanted to be able to constantly add new dishes to their menu. As such, the mushroom supplier gradually expanded his range. “Pink oyster mushrooms can be seared quickly like bacon,” shares Mirko, “and a beautiful golden oyster mushroom, which is delicious with fish, by the way, is the perfect way to brighten up any dish. Lion’s mane mushrooms look a little bit like a cauliflower and can be breaded. Finally, comb coral mushrooms are a great meat substitute. One of my customers actually tried frying them together with black salsify in choux pastry – it was absolutely delicious.”
„“You have to develop a feeling and an eye for what the mushrooms need. Otherwise, they will grow differently and the caps may be too small.” “
Wood, oxygen and humidity
Mirko only grows mushrooms that break down wood. On sawdust and with a little lime, which acts as a buffer to the acids, he grows 15 different varieties of mushrooms, including king oysters, shiitake, brown and white shimeji, orange nameko, poplar fieldcaps, oysters, Indian oysters, elm oysters and hen-of-the-wood, in the tunnel where the humidity is between 90 and 100 per cent and the temperature is more or less a constant 14 degrees Celsius. They consume an awful lot of oxygen, so the tunnel needs a constant supply of fresh air.
“At this temperature, the mushrooms grow slowly but the flavours develop more intensively and the mushrooms last a long time. You can even freeze them if you have bought too many,” explains Mirko. “By the way, the mushrooms incorporate the wood that they break down into their cap.”
Mirko Kalkum only grows mushrooms that break down wood, like shiitakes and pink oyster mushrooms.
In the shiitake growing room you can spot the brown and white trunk-shaped shiitake substrate that Mirko uses to grow his mushrooms.
Top chefs ask for top quality
Unlike with more popular standard mushrooms, mushrooms that break down wood don’t need a lot of water, have a firm bite and are perfect for searing. As Mirko gives his mushrooms plenty of time to grow, their quality is so high that a lot of top chefs from the area practically tear them from his hands.
Knowing what the mushrooms need
A lot of care and attention is needed here, too. Even though mushrooms can largely be left to their own devices, the smallest misstep can have a massive impact. “If the fan breaks down, an entire harvest can be quickly ruined,” explains Mirko. “You have to have a feeling and an eye for what the mushrooms need. If not, they will grow differently and the caps may be too small.” While this doesn’t change the flavour of the mushrooms, it does change their appearance, which is a big problem for top chefs who place great importance on the aesthetics of their dishes. Beautiful, unusual and tasty mushrooms can make a big difference here.
Shiitake mushrooms, around four days before harvesting. Mirko’s career as a mushroom grower started with shiitakes.
Harvesting all year round
“Unlike with ‘normal’ farming, where you get at most two harvests a year, mushrooms grow in waves,” shares the expert. “They can be harvested every four weeks. It’s a lot of manual work, but luckily the tunnel is always cool and calm – after all, there’s no mobile reception in here.”
A lucky grower
The tunnel is built into the Nussberg Hill in Saarbrücken, and there’s a wonderful view over the town from the area in front of the door where the tastings are held. “I was just lucky,” says Mirko, who sells his mushrooms for around €30 per kilo and even sends them to customers who purchase them online during the cooler months of the year. “The increase in the number of people that now follow a vegan diet has also boosted business. Even though it’s a lot of hard work, it’s amazing, and very satisfying, to see the mushrooms grow.”
Author: Peter Würth Photos: Simon Hofmann
