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Autumn rains and dampness are an excellent habitat for mushrooms. Many varieties are considered healthy, and some are eaten raw or lightly boiled. Russula received this name due to the presence of russulin, an active biological substance. That is why they can be used in any cooking method.
Why are russulas called that?
The origin of the word “russula” dates back to the times of the Old Slavonic dialect. When deciphered, it sounds like raw food - a mushroom that can be eaten raw. However, russula was consumed even before the discovery of russulin.
Since ancient times, mushroom pickers have relied on their sense of smell, vision, and taste buds when harvesting. For example, podgrudok is eaten raw or in any other form. The possibility of consuming mycelium is determined by taste: if the cap is bitter, odorless, bright, sticky, then it cannot be eaten.
Russula is the opposite in all respects; the fruiting body has:
- sweetish aftertaste;
- characteristic aroma mixed with sweetness;
- the surface of the cap is rough to the touch;
- fragile structure of the cap and stalk of the mycelium.
The Latin name for russula is rússulus, which when translated means red or reddish, because most mushrooms from this family have a red cap. Most of the Russula family are edible, other species are slightly bitter, but the taste goes away after heat treatment or pickling.
Is it possible to eat russula mushrooms raw?
It is not recommended to taste or eat freshly harvested crops from various types of russula. You shouldn't do this in the forest either. They are eaten raw at the collection site only if the mushroom picker is absolutely sure that it belongs to the edible variety. The russulin contained in the mycelium was discovered quite recently, but it is scarce in other varieties of mycelium, so because of the bitter taste, the mushrooms are boiled and then used for various dishes. The enzyme makes them sweet, edible, and gives them flavor. There is no russulin in the poisonous mycelium at all, so any mycelium eaten will cause irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting, and diarrhea.
What kind of russula can be eaten raw?
Scientists have identified only 32 edible species. Some of them are present in almost any forest in Russia. In many cases, mushroom pickers encounter the most common varieties of russula suitable for consumption:
- Blue-yellow. The mycelium has an unusual color - dark blue edges and a yellowish center of the cap, so this strange name for russula arouses interest. It is found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and Russia, and is valued for its unusual aftertaste in gourmet culinary dishes.
- Green – ordinary mycelium is pale gray in color.The hat in the center has a greenish color. The mushroom is edible and not bitter. It grows and reproduces in mixed or deciduous forests, mainly adjacent to birch.
- Golden yellow or red russula. The unusual appearance is characterized by a memorable color and the smell of roses. The taste is sweetish, not bitter. Found in deciduous and rarely in coniferous forests. It is considered a delicacy in European cuisine.
- A variety of fork mushroom. Russula is eaten raw; it tastes similar to champignons. Lamellar mycelium is flexible and has a stem tapering towards the base. Grows in forests of any type, found on forest edges and berry meadows.
- Olive – the mycelium cap is dry and rough. Olive color often alarms mushroom pickers. For some time now, the fruiting body has been used as dry fiber for food supplements. Mycelium has a pleasant taste and smell and is found everywhere.
- Bolotnaya. Despite the name, it is very nutritious for the body and edible in any form. It has no taste, but has a pleasant fruity smell. This is a lamellar mushroom with a smooth red cap and white dense flesh. It can be found in swamps, next to a stream or a coniferous forest.
What do raw russulas taste like?
Mushrooms are only called russula, but most types must first be determined for taste and edibility, then treated with boiling water. The taste of russula is valued for its unique aroma and nutrients. All these qualities are most clearly expressed in pickled mushrooms. The pulp and taste depend on the area where the mycelium grows, as well as on the presence of absorbed substances from the soil. Forest species are the most delicious - this is what mushroom pickers think, but mycelium grown on your own plot or in artificial conditions is more useful.After heat treatment, the taste does not disappear, sometimes the smell and aftertaste become more pronounced. The most common mycelium does not taste bitter, gives off a sweetish or mushroom taste, and often smells of ozone or grass.
Conclusion
Russulas received this name because their mycelium is harmless to humans if the mushroom belongs to the Russula family. The fruit body of edible varieties has a fragile structure. The mushroom is low in calories, so it can be used during diets and gastrointestinal diseases. Russula grow and reproduce quickly, so during the harvest season you can purchase spores to try to grow real mycelium. This eliminates the need to search for mushrooms in ravines or forests.
