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Fatal foraging cookbook gets recalled for advising readers to consume raw morels

Robyn Brittow

(image: iStock)

ALSO READ: What to know before going mushroom foraging.

Johnna Holmgren, the blogger behind Fox meets Bear, released her first cookbook in May which focuses on recipes for foraged food items such as raw mushrooms and berries.

The blogger has a following of over 132 000 followers on Instagram where she shares her foraging finds and recipes. Her cookbook, Tales from a Forager’s kitchen, has been recalled after Amazon.com reviewers expressed their concerns about the dangers of her recipes.

The Fox meets Bear blogger, told Buzzfeed news that her initial aim with the book was to increase people’s “appreciation for the earth”.

There once was a tiny red mushroom named Helga. She was so red, redder than the reddest ripe strawberry. She was so small that no one ever heard her. Everyday she wanted to be seen and heard but all the other mushrooms in Mushroom Land were much bigger and smarter and had much busier things to do besides listening to such a small mushroom. You see, Mushroom Land was a land where what you DID mattered. There were mushroom goals, and agendas, places to be and people to see. Life moved so fast. The things Helga cared about seemed different than what the other mushrooms cared about. She cared about the color of the sky and the way the breeze felt on her teeny tiny cap. She wondered how many birds she might gaze upon that day and imagined what it would feel like to fly. She made up new melodies in her head and dreamed of things like a fresh rainfall and appreciated the morning sunrise. Moral of the story: Be like Helga. ?? A story titled: Hello My Name is Helga, from my upcoming cookbook! Fact: Adults can enjoy fairytales too. #SixDays #TalesFromAForagersKitchen #AdultFairytales

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Her publishers, Crown publishers and Rodales books, released a statement that they have made the decision to discontinue the cookbook from further publishing and promotion.

Whilst Holmgren’s book has been removed from Amazon.com and all retailers, she does have a disclaimer statement on her website, indicating readers have to be cautious and “verify nutritional information and health benefits with a qualified professional”. This has not stopped her from continuing to share recipes from the cookbook on her Instagram.

Do you eat quiche or eggs for breakfast? This quinoa crusted recipe will carry you through each season. In Spring, add fresh thyme and a dash of fresh uplifting lemon. Through Summer, sprinkle with edible florals such as chamomile, red clover, honeysuckle, lavender, jasmine, or wood sorrel. Through Fall and Winter months, add spices such as cloves, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, or nutmeg for warmth and depth. Very simple and beautiful to offer to guests or your family. Lots of room for variation and open mindedness! Pg. 53 titled Floraled Elderflower Quiche. You’ll have it memorized in no time. ????????

2,299 Likes, 58 Comments – Johnna Holmgren (@foxmeetsbear) on Instagram: “Do you eat quiche or eggs for breakfast? This quinoa crusted recipe will carry you through each…”

Twitter users have expressed their concerns over the cookbook’s recipes.

Let us know what you think in the comments below.

ALSO READ: The age of foraging, fynbos and fresh botanicals