When I set out to talk about my fascination with mushrooms I didn't envisage straying into the wider reaches of the myco-world. But talking about good food without talking about moulds (or molds) is to miss out on some of the magic that fungi bring to our lives! Without moulds and yeasts we wouldn't have Stilton or Roquefort, we wouldn't have risen bread or beer and we'd be dropping dead from diseases we currently treat with fungus-derived anti-biotics.
Until a few day ago I know little beyond the fact that moulds and yeasts existed and were very important parts of the overall ecosystem.
In "Importance and Significance of Molds and Yeast The Basic Features, Habits, and Characteristics of Mold and Yeast", Prof. Donald Reinhart observes that...
"...fungi have happy lives in dark or light places as they digest simple organic foods like paper, cardboard, glues and starch. They are helpful when they digest logs, twigs and leaves, produce antibiotics or help make cheeses."
So moulds are a good thing? Well yes and no - as well as the good guys helping us with getting drunk, turning milk into cheese and treating our ailments, there are also bad guys. These problem moulds include ergot, mildew, athlete's foot and the carcinogenic Aspergilla moulds.
Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is especially interesting since it illustrates both the good and the bad of fungal moulds - it is the cause of lethal (and madness-inducing) ergotism, the source for LSD and a valuable resource for pharmaceutical research. Plus many ergot derived drugs have a profound sexuality-enhancing effect - not a surprise since ergot was (rather riskily) used as a sexual drug from ancient times. The fungus was also used to promote miscarriage - in effect for abortion.
Ergot is also suggested as a factor behind episodes of mass hallucination such as the Salem Witch trials as well as underlying the origins of revolutionary actions (e.g. The Great Fear in France).
So there you are - ergot, one little mould that infects rye, millet and sorghum has had a really profound impact on human history, health and questionable song lyrics!
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