The Fungivore’s Guide to Mexico’s Mycotours |Meet the PLUG
In this episode, Zach and I dive into how he went from 27 years in kitchens to hiking through the mountains of Mexico hosting culinary myco-adventures with his wife. From psychedelic beginnings in the '90s to micro-tourism magic in Oaxaca, Zach shares stories of barbacoa under the stars, discovering 51 orchid species on a mushroom survey, dyeing silk with lobsters (the mushrooms, not the animals), and building trust with indigenous communities one spore at a time.
We get into:
How mushroom tourism actually works
The power of language and cultural respect in ecological tourism
Mushroom dyeing, Mexican culinary traditions, and wild edible hunts
And the future of cross-cultural mycology, from Oaxaca to Chiapas to Japan
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MyComida: Rupestre (July 31- Aug 8; SOLD OUT) - This trip features Celestino Mendez, our local guide and orchid expert, find him on Facebook by his name, and on IG as @WalkWithCelestino; Guadalajara Mycologist and Ceremonialist Iñaki Oyarvide as well mushroom chef Chad Hyatt of The Mushroom Hunter's Kitchen;
MyColores: Sierra Norte (part II) (August 12-20; 4 SPOTS LEFT): We are welcoming Alissa Allen of Mycopigments and Mushroom & Lichen Dye's United FB group back for her 4th year in row, exploring the myco-colors of Oaxaca. This year we are returning to the silk producing village of San Pedro Cojonos for a second time to forage and dye with the master weavers of that region;
NAMA_MX25 (August 24-31; SOLD OUT): This trip is our third year partnering with the North American Mycological Society and features a whole bevy of Mexican mycologists from 4 different states. Our Program Director is Ireri Monter of Symbiosis Viva la Funga, our lead Chef is Joaquin Cardoso of Loup Wine Bar, both in Mexico City; We will have in attendance ethnomycologist (<--click this link for one of her research papers) Mara Haro; Ezequial Cruz of Fungaria and Dr. Ruan Soto from Chiapas; Elisette Ramirez-Carbajal from the Pjiekakjoo Community in the State of Mexico; Mycologist and Professor Dr. Adrés Argüelles of UNAM; several local chefs, hosted by the community of Ixtlan de Juarez; we will have Alissa Allen there as well, for some dyeing demonstrations and reflections on her own journey into Mexican Mycology.
MycoChiapas (September 24th- October 2nd; 5 SPOTS LEFT): This trip is in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas; We will feature not just Ezequial Cruz, but his partners as well: mushroom Chef Karla Jmenez and Mycologist Alex Estrada; and of course, the illustrious Dr. Fun Guy himself, Gordon Walker of Fascinated by Fungi; as well as featuring some of our local partners Diego & Laura of Mama Funga, Alexander and Mario of Cafe FUN Aleacion, and featuring a Functional Mushroom Chocolate Class with Julio Salazar of Jangala Chocolates with possible appearance by Dennis Walker of Mycopreneur Podcast, a resident of the town.
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I also mentioned that for Flora Funga Podcast listeners--if we still have some Scholarships remaining--we can extend the deadline for your people (just have them mention your podcast in our application form) to help lower income folks join these life changing adventures. And of course folks can sign up on our website to hear about our 2026 trips before anyone else and get an exclusive early bird discount for being interested early!
