Boletus edulis
Bulliard ex Fries
Sponge Fungus, Cep, King bolete
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(c) Davide Puddu, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Davide Puddu
(c) hankabroz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Fungus, Mushroom, Spice, Vegetable
Boletus edulis, as the species epithet edulis (Latin: edible) indicates, is an edible mushroom. Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio described it as representing "the wild mushroom par excellence", and hailed it as the most rewarding of all fungi in the kitchen for its taste and versatility. Considered a choice edible, particularly in France, Germany, Poland and Italy, it was widely written about by the Roman writers Pliny the Elder and Martial, although ranked below the esteemed Amanita caesarea. When he was served suilli instead of boleti, the disgruntled Martial wrote: sunt tibi boleti; fungos ego sumo suillos (Ep. iii. 60)("You eat the choice boletus, I have mushrooms that swine grub up.") The flavour of porcini has been described as nutty and slightly meaty, with a smooth, creamy texture, and a distinctive aroma reminiscent of sourdough. Young, small porcini are most appreciated, as the large ones often harbour maggots (insect larvae), and become slimy, soft and less tasty with age. The fruit bodies are collected by holding the stipe near the base and twisting gently. Cutting the stipe with a knife may risk the part left behind rotting and the mycelium being destroyed. Peeling and washing are not recommended. The fruit bodies are highly perishable, due largely to the high water content (around 90%), the high level of enzyme activity, and the presence of a flora of microorganisms. Caution should be exercised when collecting specimens from potentially polluted or contaminated sites, as several studies have shown that the fruit bodies can bioaccumulate toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, caesium and polonium. Bioaccumulated metals or radioactive fission decay products are like chemical signatures: chemical and radiochemical analysis can be used to identify the origin of imported specimens, and for long-term radioecological monitoring of polluted areas. Porcini are sold fresh in markets in summer and autumn in Europe and Russia, and dried or canned at other times of the year, and distributed worldwide to countries where they are not otherwise found. They are eaten and enjoyed raw, sautéed with butter, ground into pasta, in soups, and in many other dishes. In France, they are used in recipes such as cèpes à la Bordelaise, cèpe frits and cèpe aux tomates. Porcini risotto is a traditional Italian autumn dish. Porcini are a feature of many cuisines, including Provençal, and Viennese. In Thailand they are used in soups and consumed blanched in salads. Porcini can also be frozen, either while raw or after cooking in butter. The colour, aroma, and taste of porcini deteriorate noticeably after being frozen for four months. Blanching (or soaking and blanching) as a processing step before freezing can extend the freezer life to 12 months. They are also one of the few species sold commercially as pickled mushrooms.
Where to Find It
It is found under shrubs and trees after heavy rain. It is eaten by the Dani in Papua Indonesia. In Nepal it grows in moist shady places in mixed forest. In Yunnan.
Africa, Alaska, Andorra, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central America, China, Croatia, East Africa, Ethiopia, Europe, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Mediterranean, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A mushroom. It is a common mushroom up to 15-20 cm high. The cap is umbrella shaped. It has tubes instead of gills. It has a large stalk base up to 5 cm across. It is dark brown.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Boletus edulis (English: cep, penny bun, porcino) is a basidiomycete fungus, and the type species of the genus Boletus. It is prized as an edible mushroom. The fungus produces spore-bearing fruit bodies above ground in summer and autumn. The fruit body has a large brown cap which can reach 30 cm (12 in) in diameter and 3 kg (6 lb 10 oz) in weight. Like other boletes, it has tubes extending downward from the underside of the cap, rather than gills; spores escape at maturity through the tube openings (pores). The pore surface of the fruit body is whitish when young, aging to a greenish-yellow. The stout stipe (or stem) is white or yellowish, up to 25 cm (10 in) tall and 7 cm (3 in) thick, and partially covered with a raised network pattern (reticulations). The fungus grows in deciduous and coniferous forests and tree plantations, forming symbiotic ectomycorrhizal associations with living trees by enveloping the tree's underground roots with sheaths of fungal tissue. Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Eurasia and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere but has been introduced to it. Several closely related European mushrooms formerly thought to be varieties or forms of B. edulis have been shown using molecular phylogenetic analysis to be distinct species, while others previously classified as separate species are conspecific with B. edulis. The western North American species commonly known as the California king bolete (B. edulis var. grandedulis) is a large, darker-coloured variant first formally identified in 2007. B. edulis is held in high regard in many cuisines and is commonly prepared and eaten in soups, pasta, or risotto. The mushroom is low in fat and digestible carbohydrates, while being high in protein, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre. Although it is sold commercially, it is very difficult to cultivate. Available fresh in autumn throughout Europe and Russia, it is most often dried, packaged, and distributed worldwide. It keeps its flavour after drying and is then reconstituted and used in cooking. B. edulis is also one of the few fungi sold pickled.
Production
The mushroom can weigh 2.5 kg and be 30 cm across.
Other Information
It is popular. It is sold in local markets.
Names & Synonyms
Bavoselli, Bavuseddhi, Bavuso, Cep de Bordeaux, Cepe, Chipo de toro y chipo, Chumugulu, Datik'a sok'o, Datvis soko, Edible boletus, Eekhoorntjesbrood, Enguday, Hed tab tao, Karl johan, King bolete, Maiwei niuganjun, Mazayel, Mei wei niu gan jun, Pananacatl, Pansa, Penny bun, Pho shyamo, Porcini, Porcino bianco, Porcino, Sangiovannino, Shophaa, Steinpilz, Stensopp, Vrganj
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