I've never picked mushrooms by myself, only with a friend who grew up doing it. If I had to, however, there are several kinds that I would trust myself to pick: the morel, the chanterelle and the boletus are very distinctive and safe. I've never eaten shiitake yet- I would like to try them some time.

Azizi, I don't think I'd worry about it. But I do have a somewhat related story. I went for 30 odd years saying I don't like cheese. I thought it was slimy and inorganic.

Then one day I took myself to task. As many people there are who LOVE cheeses, where do I come off saying such a thing?

Turned out that the only cheese I don't like is American Processed Cheese! Which was the only kind I'd ever been fed.