Morel The morel (morchella esculenta) is one of the most widely consumed of spring mushrooms. Found throughout the whole of Slovakia from lowlands to the submontane vegetation belt and, albeit only rarely, in higher reaches, it grows in well-lit fringes of deciduous forests and in meadows, shrubbery and orchards. The morel favours moist, clayey soil on either basic or acidic substrate. Its presence culminates usually in the latter half of April in the warmer parts of Slovakia and in mid-May in colder climes. A characteristic feature of morels is that they appear in the same place for many years. The fruiting period, however, normally lasts only two weeks and the more abundant habitats occur for the most part as very small, isolated areas. As far back as the Middle Ages the morel was a staple part of the our ancestors' diet, its popularity extending to the kitchens of the nobility. The duty to pick the fungus for manorial lords appears among many records of peasant or villein service. The morel's fine flavour can be appreciated both fresh and dried. The FDC depicts another delicious mushroom, the fly agaric, which grows copiously in both deciduous and coniferous forests, from June to October. The commemorative stamp features the so-called "Czech morel", again an excellent edible fungus. Generally considered a rarity in Europe, it nevertheless grows in great abundance in Slovakia, particularly in woods and shrubbery in the south. It is our first spring mushroom that can be put to culinary use.