Mushrooming may seem like a fun activity, but it can also be quite dangerous. There are many types of mushrooms and many are edible and very delicious. Unfortunately, this does not apply to all species. Eating non-edible mushrooms that contain chemicals can make you seriously ill and even be fatal.

But how do you tell the difference between an edible and a poisonous mushroom?
Recognizing poisonous mushrooms can be life-saving, so that is why we like to give some very important tips.

Mushrooms with white gills are often poisonous, the same also applies to mushrooms with a ring around the stem and those with a volva. So it's important to dig around the base of a mushroom to look for it.
Mushrooms with a red color on the cap or stem, are also poisonous.

Symptoms of mushroom poisoning can range from stomach upset to organ failure, which can result in death. Severe symptoms do not always appear immediately after eating, often only when the toxin attacks the kidney or liver. This can be days or weeks later. Anyone who becomes ill after eating a poisonous mushroom should seek urgently medical attention.

These are the 7 most poisonous species growing around the world:

1. Death Cap Mushroom (Amanita phalloides)
   - as the name implies, the deadliest of all mushrooms
   - and also be aware that they closely resemble Poland's popular, edible parasol mushroom
   
2. Conocybe Filaris
3. Web Caps (Cortinarius rubellus)
4. Autumn Skullcap (Galerina marginata)
5. Destroying Angel (Amanita verna)
6. Podostroma Cornu-Damae
7. Deadly Dapperling (Lepiota brunneoincarnata)

So are you going out to pick mushrooms? Then make sure you pick an edible one to use in your risotto!