As the rainy season rolls in, Mexico’s forests transform into a mycologist’s dream.
This country is one of the world’s most biodiverse fungal kingdoms, e.g like Mexican mushrooms, with over 7,000 documented species and around 400 edible Mexican mushrooms.
This incredible diversity stems from Mexico’s unique geography.
A mix of tropical to temperate climates and varying altitudes creates a multitude of microclimates where fungi thrive.
Mexico has a long tradition of medicinal, sacred, and culinary uses of mushrooms.
Types of Mexican Mushrooms:
Mexican mushrooms fall into three broad categories, and also explore more about the cacao benefits for the mind and body:
Edible: Including the distinctly Mexican huitlacoche, the bold, smoky-flavoured Mexican truffle.
Functional: While not all are native, mushrooms like reishi, cordyceps, and turkey tail grow well here and are gaining popularity across Mexico for their adaptogenic and immune-boosting properties.
Psychoactive: Psilocybin mushrooms (aka magic mushrooms, or hongos mágicos), many of which grow wild in Mexico, have long held sacred roles in Indigenous spiritual ceremonies.
Mexican Mushrooms in Traditional Cuisine:
Mexican cuisine has celebrated mushrooms for over 2,000 years, with fungi featured in dishes from street tacos to ceremonial feasts.
This earthy delicacy has deep roots in pre-Hispanic cuisine and remains widely used in dishes such as quesadillas, tamales, and soups.
Among the astonishing variety found in Mexico is the striking Amanita caesarea, known locally as oronja, the yellow or red mushroom – a globally prized species celebrated for its rich flavor and culinary reputation.
Then there’s the Lactarius indigo – a mushroom with bright blue gills. Slice it open, and it “bleeds” a brilliant indigo milk.
In Jalisco, mushroom hunters prize the delicate Volvariella bombycina, which grows on the trunks of native ozote or izote trees.
It’s valued for its tender texture and mild, nutty flavor, and is often used as a meat substitute in traditional dishes.
Traditional cooking methods highlight the savory rich flavors of Mexican mushrooms: folded into masa for tlacoyos, stirred into complex moles, or simply sautéed with epazote.
The Spiritual and Medicinal Roots of Mexico’s Magic Mushrooms:
Mexico is by far the richest country in psilocybin fungi.
While they’re at the center of global research on mental health and trauma healing, their use remains legally ambiguous.
Indigenous communities in Mexico have recognized the profound power of mushrooms for thousands of years.
Archaeological evidence shows that psilocybin-containing mushrooms were used in Mesoamerica over 3,000 years ago.
They appear in ancient art, ceremonial tools, and early written records, emphasizing their profound spiritual and medicinal significance.
The Mazatec, Mixtec, Zapotec, and Nahua considered these mushrooms as sacred medicine, tools for healing both body and soul.
The Nahua called them teonanácatl, meaning “divine mushroom” or “God’s flesh.”
The Mazatec referred to them as niños santos, or “holy children,” a name that reflects their belief that mushrooms are sacred beings with souls.
Mexican mushrooms were central to veladas, or nighttime healing rituals that provided insight and a bridge to the ancestral world.
Psilocybin Mushrooms for Holistic Healing:
For centuries, Indigenous communities in Mexico have used psilocybin mushrooms as sacred medicine to heal both body and soul.
Curanderos/as (traditional healers) would consume the mushrooms to enter altered states, allowing them to diagnose illness, understand the root of suffering, and receive guidance for treatment.
Patients, too, would take the mushrooms during guided ceremonies to process grief, trauma, or imbalance, which we might now call anxiety or depression.
While not typically used for physical pain, psilocybin was part of a broader healing system that combined different plants and fungi to support the whole person: Mind, body, and spirit.
Ancient Mexican Wisdom Meets Modern Science:
Long before functional mushrooms (used more for their health benefits than flavor) became a wellness trend, Indigenous communities in Mexico were already using fungi as an everyday medicine.
In regions like the Sierra de Puebla, local healers brewed wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia) into anti-inflammatory teas to ease asthma and other respiratory issues.
Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus) and huitlacoche (Ustilago maydis) were used to soothe digestive troubles, while turkey tail (Trametes versicolor) was applied topically to treat skin conditions.
Modern science is catching up to what traditional healers have practiced for generations:
- Immune Support: Native varieties like split gill (Schizophyllum commune) and puffball mushrooms (Lycoperdon spp.) are rich in beta-glucans that help regulate immune response and boost cellular defenses.
- Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Fungi like lion’s mane support gut health and help reduce systemic inflammation, with promising results for brain and nerve health.
- Antioxidant Power: Porcini or Boletus edulis and Chaga, high in polyphenols and flavonoids, help fight oxidative stress linked to aging, chronic disease, and environmental toxins.
The Microdosing Movement:
While functional mushrooms offer legal, accessible wellness benefits, some people are exploring psilocybin microdosing, a practice that differs significantly from traditional spiritual healing use.
Unlike full doses used in ceremonies, microdosing involves taking tiny, sub-perceptual amounts (typically 0.1-0.3g of dried mushrooms) every few days.
There’s no “trip” – no hallucinations, spiritual visions, or altered consciousness.
People who microdose often report enhanced creativity, better problem-solving, improved focus and productivity, greater emotional balance, reduced anxiety, and increased motivation and energy.
While microdosing may seem innocuous, psilocybin remains a controlled substance in Mexico.
Psychedelic Tourism and Psilocybin Retreats:
Hongos mágicos remain illegal under Mexican law, with one key exception: Traditional ceremonial use.
Under Federal Penal Code Article 195 bis, Indigenous communities are permitted to use and cultivate sacred plants and fungi, including psilocybin, within traditional spiritual practices.
This legal protection does not extend to general recreational or commercial use.
That hasn’t stopped a booming psychedelic tourism scene, especially in places like San José del Pacífico, where enforcement tends to be relaxed.
Many retreats claim ties to tradition but operate in a legally ambiguous space.
Many are led by self-proclaimed “neo-shamans” who cater exclusively to tourists, blending traditional healing methods with New Age practices.
These experiences often exploit local knowledge without offering accountability or benefit to the communities they take from.
We’re not here to recommend or discourage, but if you do choose to partake of psilocybin mushrooms, know that you’re breaking the law.
Foreigners should tread carefully, avoid unregulated ceremonies, and respect local customs and Indigenous sovereignty.
Hongo Hunting: Your Guide to Foraging Mexican Mushrooms
Mexico’s high-altitude forests are among the most fungi-rich ecosystems in the world.
During the rainy season (June to October), these woodlands come alive with edible and medicinal mushrooms.
Favorites among wild fungi foragers include oyster mushrooms, Caesar’s mushrooms, lion’s mane, and cordyceps.
But none are quite as prized as the elusive Mexican matsutake (Tricholoma mesoamericanum).
This aromatic mushroom is notoriously difficult, and its rarity means it can fetch up to 40,000 pesos per kilo when exported to Japan!
Top Mexican Mushroom Foraging Regions:
- Oaxaca (Sierra Norte & San José del Pacífico): Mexico’s undisputed mushroom capital, home to festivals, cloud forests, and deep mycological traditions
- Hidalgo (La Malinche & surrounding areas): Volcanic soil supports a wide range of edible species
- Puebla (Cuetzalan, Zacatlán): Known for traditional foraging and community knowledge
- Veracruz (Los Tuxtlas): High humidity in the cloud forests fosters wild oyster mushrooms and rare medicinal fungi
- Valle de Bravo (State of Mexico): Lush pine-oak forests, ecotourism retreats, and the annual Festival del Hongo in late August make this a rising destination for culinary and cultural mushroom lovers
- Forests near CDMX (Ajusco & beyond): Easily accessible and popular with local mushroom clubs
If you’re keen to get out into nature and forage for fungi. We suggest going with a local or Indigenous guide.
Not only is this the safest way to avoid toxic lookalikes, it’s also the most respectful.
In many communities, mushroom gathering is about more than food…
It’s tied to ancestral land stewardship, seasonal rituals, and ecological wisdom.
Responsible foraging means following the “rule of thirds”:
- Only harvest a third of any mushroom patch
- Leave the rest to support regrowth and local wildlife
Other sustainable practices include:
- Cut mushrooms cleanly at the base, never uproot them, which damages the underground mycelium (the root-like network)
- Carry your fungi finds in baskets or mesh bags to allow spores to spread as you walk
