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Boletus or porcini mushroom has another name in biological reference books - Boletus edulis. A classic representative of the Boletaceae family, the Borovik genus, consisting of several varieties. All of them have a high nutritional rating and are included in the first classification group. An external description and photo of porcini mushrooms will help you get a general idea of their characteristics and differences from each other.
A real boletus has thick, dense flesh and a brown cap.
Why is the white mushroom called that?
The real porcini mushroom and its species differ from each other in the color of the cap and the place of growth. Color depends on age and weather conditions, and can be beige or dark brown. The upper and lower parts of the fruiting body are always different shades. Among the species of porcini mushroom, there are no specimens that are uniformly colored white.
Representatives of the genus got their name from the color of the pulp; it remains white regardless of the processing method. Does not darken on cuts and damaged areas upon contact with oxygen. Dried fruit bodies also do not change color after the moisture evaporates.
What mushrooms are porcini mushrooms?
In appearance, porcini mushrooms are similar to each other in their large size, thick elastic pulp and tubular spore-bearing layer. All of them are edible, with high nutritional value. The chemical composition of the fruiting bodies is practically the same. Autumn growth is abundant. A description with the name and photo of the representatives will help you distinguish between the varieties of porcini mushrooms.
White spruce mushroom (Boletus edulis f.edulis) is the type form of the species, taken as the basis of the genus.
In wet weather, the cap of the white spruce boletus is matte and velvety
The fruiting bodies are large, single specimens can weigh up to 1.5-2 kg. The average diameter of the cap is 20-25 cm. The protective film at the beginning of growth is light beige in color; in adult specimens it darkens, becomes chestnut or brown. The surface is smooth or slightly bumpy, velvety, at the beginning of the growing season with a small sparse edge. When humidity is low, small cracks appear near the edge.
The lower part consists of a dense tubular layer, sometimes protruding beyond the boundaries of the cap. The hymenium in mature specimens is easily separated from the surface. The spore-bearing layer is located only on the lower part of the cap with a clear boundary, in the form of a shallow groove near the stem. Young boletuses have a white color, then yellow, and at the end of the biological cycle - with an olive tint.
The fruit stem is 20 cm long, thick and cylindrical. Near the mycelium it is thickened with a mesh covering, slightly tapering upward. The interior is solid, dense, and the structure is fine-fiber. The color is light brown or white with longitudinal dark fragments. It is characterized by a pleasant taste and pronounced nutty odor.
Pine boletus (Boletus pinophilus) is an edible species with a high gastronomic value.
Pine boletus has a rich burgundy cap color
The color of the upper part of the fruiting body is brown with shades of red or purple. The color is uneven, the center of the cap is darker. The protective film is dry matte; at high humidity, the mucous coating is not continuous, only in certain areas. The average diameter of the cap is 10-20 cm, the surface is rough and bumpy.
The hymenophore is tubular, white with a yellow tint; in adult specimens it is yellow-green. Well attached to the bottom, difficult to separate. The tubes are long, do not extend beyond the cap, are densely spaced, and the spores are small. The tubular layer ends with a clear depression near the stem.
The leg is thick, in the form of a wide cone, 15-17 cm long. The structure is dense, solid and soft. The surface is beige with brown, sparsely located short stripes, mesh. If the mushroom grows in an open area, the stem is white.
The pulp is thick, pinkish near the film covering, white in young specimens, with a yellowish tint in mature fruiting bodies. The taste is delicate, the smell is pronounced mushroom, intensifies during the cooking process.
White birch mushroom (Boletus betulicola), or popularly called colossus. It got its name from the period of fruiting, which coincides with the ripening of cereal crops.
At high humidity, the cap of the colossus is covered with a mucous, but not sticky coating.
The species has the fastest biological cycle; the mushroom ripens within a week, ages and becomes unfit for consumption. It is smaller in size. The upper part in diameter is up to 10-12 cm. A distinctive feature of the colossovik is a short leg - 10 cm, in the form of a barrel, expanded in the middle part.
The color of the cap of the birch boletus is light yellow or dark straw with or without a white stripe along the edge. The leg is light with a pronounced white mesh covering. The tubular layer is pale with a barely noticeable beige tint. The pulp is tasteless with a pleasant smell.
Bronze bolet (Boletus aereus) is a large edible and the darkest representative of the genus.
The bronze boletus has a dark gray cap and a finely scaly covering of the stem.
A rare species with dense flesh, the thickness of the cap reaches up to 5 cm, the diameter is 18 cm and more. The surface is smooth, always dry, glossy. In mature specimens, indentations form along the edge of the cap, so the shape is wavy. The color is dark gray, closer to black; the older the specimen, the lighter it is. In adult fruiting bodies, the surface of the cap is brown or bronze.
The tubular layer is very dense, the cells are small. Young white boletuses are greyish, then yellow or olive. A distinctive feature of the species is that when pressure is applied to the hymenophore, the damaged area darkens.
The leg of the boletus is thick, tuberous, solid and dense. Covering the lower part with small dark, sparsely located brown scales. Closer to the cap, the top layer is mesh, white with pinkish stripes.
The pulp is pink at the beginning of growth, then becomes white or cream, and slightly darkens when cut. The taste is neutral, the smell is pleasant, subtle, reminiscent of hazelnuts.
Boletus reticulatus or white oak fungus creates mycorrhiza only with deciduous trees.
Boletus reticulum is a variety with high nutritional value
Compared to other representatives of the genus, this is a small species, the diameter of the cap does not exceed 8-12 cm. The surface is dry even at high humidity. The cap in the upper part is uneven with tubercles and dents, as well as a network of small grooves and cracks. Unevenly colored, there may be areas of cream, dark beige or light chestnut. The edges are curved, with a spore-bearing white layer protruding to the surface.
The hymenophore is very dense, can be of all shades of yellow or pure white, depending on the age of the fruiting body. Near the stalk, the spore-bearing layer ends with a clear boundary.
The leg is smooth, slightly thickened near the soil, long - up to 15 cm, of medium thickness. The surface is rough, hard, with a clearly defined mesh from base to top, light chestnut. The structure is dense and continuous. The pulp is not fragile with a delicate taste and a bright mushroom smell.
Half-white bolet (Hemileccinum impolitum) is classified as a porcini mushroom; until recently it was part of the Borovik genus. Mycologists then identified it as a separate species of the genus Hemileccinum. Occurs rarely, mostly singly.
Has an unpleasant phenolic odor, especially at the base of the stem
Tubular type with a large fruiting body, the upper part grows up to 20 cm wide. The color is red or bright yellow with a brick tint. Peculiarities:
- The surface of the cap is smooth and uniformly colored. The protective film is hard, dry, with deep, large cracks along the edge.
- The tubular layer is loose, bright yellow or lemon with brown spots of different sizes, protrudes beyond the boundaries of the cap, free.
- The stalk is narrow near the mycelium, then widens and does not change thickness up to the top. Length – 10 cm, width – about 5 cm. The structure is dense, continuous and unbreakable.The surface is smooth without a mesh coating with radial brown stripes, beige.
The pulp is dense, light yellow, and turns pink when mechanically damaged. The taste is sweetish, the smell is unpleasant, reminiscent of carbolic acid. After boiling, it disappears completely, and the taste is not inferior to real boletus.
What do porcini mushrooms look like?
Finding boletus mushrooms in the forest among mushroom pickers is considered good luck. Porcini mushrooms are large in size, but are located in small groups, so it is unlikely that you will be able to collect a good harvest from a small area. Externally, boletus mushrooms compare favorably with other species and will not go unnoticed. The description of the porcini mushroom is as follows.
Hat:
- The color depends on the variety, lighting of the place, and humidity. There are specimens of light beige, chestnut, dark gray, brown or bronze shade. It is uneven with dark areas and white or yellowish stripes along the edge.
- The shape at the beginning of the growing season is rounded, convex, then convex-prostrate with wavy, even, concave or raised edges. The flat cap is very rare. Grows from 5 to 30 cm. The surface has bumps, dents or is smooth.
- The protective film is smooth, glossy, velvety, dry or with a slippery coating. It may be thin felt along the edges, with small wrinkles, cracks of different sizes. Densely grown, difficult to separate.
- The lower part is dense, tubular, reminiscent of the structure of a sponge with small cells. It may extend beyond the cap, but always with a clear boundary in the form of a deep, even furrow near the stem. The color is white at the beginning of growth, then turns yellow. By maturity, the fruit body becomes olive-tinged.
Leg:
- In young specimens – 4-6 cm, maximum length – 18-20 cm, thickness depending on age – 4-10 cm.
- The shape is club-shaped or barrel-shaped, later becoming cylindrical. Widened at the base, tapering towards the apex, smooth or thickened in the central part.
- The surface is rough. May be cream, white, light brown, often darker at the base. Unevenly colored: with dark areas, longitudinal lines of light olive color, small dark gray dots in the form of scales.
- A distinctive feature of boletus mushrooms is the presence of a mesh covering; it can be along the entire length or closer to the cap. There is no ring on the stem, the porcini mushrooms do not have a cover.
The pulp is thick white, yellowish in mature fruiting bodies. The structure is dense, juicy and unbreakable.
True white boletus grows on a thick, club-shaped fruit stalk.
Characteristics of porcini mushrooms
The forms of porcini mushroom listed above are edible. They have a subtle, weakly expressed taste and a slight pleasant smell, except for the semi-white bolete. Boletus mushrooms have high nutritional value, but only young fruits are consumed.
Overripe fruiting bodies are not used for gastronomic purposes; they can cause intoxication. Young boletus mushrooms do not contain toxic compounds; they can be used raw, boiled, or fried. Dried porcini mushroom is prized. Well suited for winter harvesting.
The rich chemical composition of the fruiting body contains vitamins, microelements and amino acids necessary for the functioning of the body. Porcini mushrooms have antibacterial properties.They have a beneficial effect on the endocrine system, restore the structure of the liver, and improve the function of the gastrointestinal tract. A low-calorie product with a high protein concentration is included in the diet for diets and vegetarian diets.
Interesting facts about porcini mushroom
Boletus is considered one of the largest species; in a relatively short biological cycle it grows to impressive sizes. Specimens weighing more than 3 kg with a diameter of the upper part of about half a meter were found. What is most interesting is that the fruiting bodies were in good condition, not overripe and not spoiled by insects and snails. Taking into account that the porcini mushroom develops in just over a week and grows to such a size, it can safely be called a leader in the speed of vegetation. For comparison, other species grow within 5 days and are several times smaller than boletus mushrooms.
This is the only species that adapts to any environmental situation. In the radioactive Chernobyl zone, porcini mushrooms did not disappear, but grew safely and did not even mutate. At the same time, it is quite difficult to obtain a boletus harvest outside their natural habitat, so the valuable product is not grown for commercial purposes.
Porcini mushrooms are considered originally Russian. There are numerous recipes for cooking with them.
Conclusion
Characteristics, descriptions and photos of porcini mushrooms show that all representatives of the genus have a high gastronomic value. They are considered delicacies not only in Russia, but also in Europe. Some varieties are more common, others are rare. Mushrooms are well camouflaged; collecting a large harvest is considered a real success among mushroom pickers.
