Make room for the mushrooms

Upcoming festival is on a mission to get more of us eating vegetables finds ELENI PHILIPPPOU

Celebrating the life, benefits and endless delicious uses of mushrooms is the latest edition of the Mushroom Festival, coming up on September 30 and October 1. Held in Spilia since 2018, Kyriakides Mushrooms responded immediately to the community’s invitation to participate. Since then, they have been co-organising the festival, making it a big celebration for nature lovers and children alike. Cooking demonstrations, food, live entertainment and a kids’ corner are part of the programme once again.

“We honour all the mushrooms that nature so generously gives us both wild and cultivated, which everyone gets to taste freshly picked, in just a few hours after harvesting,” organisers say.

At last year’s Mushroom Festival, the Spilia community, the Cyprus Chefs Association and Kyriakides Mushrooms built the largest pan ever seen with a diameter of 4 metres. The pan was placed in the centre of the festival and used to break the World Record for the largest serving of sautéed mushrooms, with a total weight of 1,210kg.

This year, together with the chefs from the Cyprus Chefs Association, the giant frying pan will once again take centre stage and chefs will prepare a huge mushroom orzo. All proceeds from the sales of this dish will be donated to the Amerikos Argyriou Centre for Preventive Paediatrics and the Monadika Xamogela Association.

Day one of the festival will begin at 12pm with a live link from Channel 6. The official opening will happen at 2pm and then live music will follow with Anna Chrysanthou and Annita Constantinou. The giant pan will be lit at 12pm and at 3pm the chefs will begin cooking the mushroom orzo which will be ready for visitors to savour from 4pm. Throughout the day, a series of children’s activities will take place with stilt-walkers, jugglers, a magic show and more.

Day two will again open with music, this time by DJ Fanis Krigos, Vyronas Potsos and Marios Melekis. Later on, in the afternoon, the Papigion band will perform pop songs and old classics live. Throughout the day, more activities and games for children will be on while mushrooms remain in the spotlight.

Street food trucks will prepare all sorts of mushroom delights; gyros made by mushrooms, mushroom soup, mushroom bao buns, mushroom burgers, tacos and even mushroom popcorn!

“So, we are waiting for you to enjoy together this festive two-day event and to help support our fellow citizens in need,” say the organisers. For those wanting to spend the weekend in the mountains, there are agro-tourism units in the surrounding area of Spilia, Kyperounda, Kakopetria, Galata and Platres.

Mushroom Festival

Two-day event with music, food, DJs and more. September 30-October 1. Spilia, Nicosia district. Saturday: 12pm-8pm. Sunday: 11am-7pm. www.mushroomfestival.cy. Tel:  7777-7707