Page 243 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

King Bolete, Boletus

edulis (BOLETACEAE)

Ryane Snow, CC-BY-SA-3.0

KING BOLETE, also called Porcini or Cep, is highly to creamy, or sometimes brownish above.
prized for its flavor. This robust, baker’s bun-shaped SPORES: 13-21 x 4-7 µm, spindle-shaped to elliptical,
fungus is solitary to gregarious and widely distrib- smooth; Spore print: olive-brown
uted. From spring until fall, it fruits on forest floors
EDIBLE PARTS: cap, stem
under a variety of trees including birch, oak, fir, hem-
HOW TO EAT: This gourmet mushroom boasts big,
lock, pine, and spruce.
complex flavor. Its flesh is nutty and savory with fruity
CAP: The cap is 3-14.5 inches (8-37cm) across, con- notes and a texture that is meaty and buttery. B. edulis
vex to broadly convex, and becoming nearly flat. Its
often hides under duff.
dry surface, which is smooth to lightly bumpy or
GRILLED PORCINI MUSHROOMS: Ingredients: large
cracked, turns semi-viscid in wet weather. Cap color
B. edulis caps, lemon, garlic slivers, nepitella (lesser
is yellow-brown, moderate brown, or red-brown, of-
calamint) leaves (or fresh thyme), olive oil, salt, pep-
ten with a lighter margin. The thick, white flesh is not
per. Take a slice of lemon and rub it over the mush-
peppery or bad-smelling. While sometimes slightly
room caps. Make small incisions in the caps and poke
reddish beneath the skin, it should not change color
in garlic and nepitella. Grill on both sides. Season with
when cut or bruised.
olive oil, salt, and pepper.
PORE SURFACE: The pore surface begins white,
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Some boletes that stain
changing to yellow, greyish-yellow, and finally ol-
blue or have red pores are poisonous. Pepper Bolete,
ive-brown. It should not bruise blue. The tubes have
B. piperatus - red pores; peppery taste. Blue-staining
small mouths.
species include: B. calopus, B. erythorpus, B. luri-
STEM: The firm, solid stem is equal or with a bul- deus, B. huronensis. Lilac Brown Bolete, Sutorius
bous base. Its surface is finely reticulate overall or to-
eximius - lilac-brown when young; reddish-brown
wards the cap. Stems measure 3-10 inches (8-25cm)
spore print.
long and 0.8-2.8 inches (2-7cm) wide. They are white
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