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In the Soviet Union, the painted-footed monkey was often found in the Far East and Siberia. However, now it is classified as an endangered species and is under the protection of the Environmental Protection Agency of the Russian Federation.
What does a colored-legged monkey look like?
Like other mushrooms of the genus Harrya, the fungi belongs to the Boletaceae family and has similar characteristics.
The hat is 3.5-11 cm in diameter, cushion-shaped, felt in the middle and at the edge.The tubes are up to 1.3 cm long, rather wide, depressed closer to the base. The leg is straight or curved, 6-11 cm in height, 0.8-2 cm in diameter. The pulp tastes fresh, without much odor. Spores are 12-16x4.5-6.5 microns, oblong, ellipsoidal.
In terms of its external structure, it resembles other representatives of the Boletaceae family.
A distinctive feature of the colored-legged birch (another name for the colored-legged birch) is its color:
- The hat can be pale dirty pink, olive-sand, pinkish-gray, walnut-lilac. Often unevenly colored, pinkish under the felt.
- The tubes of young mushrooms are creamy and pale ocher. If you press, they change color to pinkish; in mature ones, they have a nutty tint, creamy-sandy.
- The leg is cream or white, with pink scales, and the base or lower half is bright yellow.
- The pulp is white and does not change color when cut.
- The spores are chestnut-brown or pinkish.
Where does the colored-legged fungus grow?
On the territory of Russia, the species is known in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and in the Far East - Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, the Jewish Autonomous District, the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka. Outside Russia it grows in China, Japan, Scotland, and North America.
For growth, the painted-legged squirrel prefers the soil next to a birch tree. Found in dry oak and oak-pine forests. You can find it between July and September.
Is it possible to eat colored-footed abok?
They are considered conditionally edible mushrooms.This species can be used for food only after undergoing additional processing:
- boiling;
- soaking;
- drying;
- blanching.
After this, the mushrooms can be used for food without fear for their taste and your health.
The mushroom must be processed before cooking.
Taste qualities of mushroom
According to state standards, the painted-footed monkey is classified in the second category. It combines valuable taste qualities and substances beneficial to the human body. Its nutritional value is similar to that of animal products.
In terms of the content of thiamine (vitamin B1), the red-legged tomato is on a par with grain crops, and in terms of the amount of ergocalciferol (vitamin D) - with natural butter. Fruit bodies contain almost as much vitamin PP as liver and yeast. In addition, they contain carbohydrates, enzymes, some types of fats, and trace elements - potassium, magnesium, fluorine, sodium, iron, chlorine and sulfur.
Benefits and harm to the body
The main benefit of mushrooms lies in the components that are valuable to humans.
The amino acids they contain, such as leucine, histidine, arginine and tyrosine, are easily broken down and absorbed in the intestines, are quickly absorbed, and have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
Lecithin reduces cholesterol levels.
This entire complex of useful substances, including vitamins and microelements, has a beneficial effect on metabolism and the cardiovascular system.It also normalizes the functions of the thyroid gland, improves immunity, and promotes the production of melanin in epidermal cells.
Speaking about the beneficial properties, one cannot fail to mention the only drawback: mushrooms are poorly digested due to the presence of fungin in them (the same chitin that is found in the shell of crustaceans).
False doubles
Mushroom pickers often confuse differently colored species of boletus with boletus and aspen mushrooms. They have similar symptoms. For example, the pink boletus, the classic boletus and the red-brown boletus at a young age look like the colored-legged boletus.
Boletus turning pink at a young age is similar to boletus colored-legged
If you do not dig up the stem of the mushroom, which has the main distinguishing feature - a bright yellow color at the base of the root, then it is impossible to distinguish them.
Collection rules
Mushrooms must be collected carefully: do not pick them together with part of the mycelium, but cut them off with a knife. This is the key to subsequent harvests. Due to improper collection of the pod, the painted-footed fish are classified as an endangered species.
Mushrooms have absorbent qualities. They should not be collected near roadways or places where harmful substances are released, as they contain a significant amount of absorbed poisons.
Use
In cooking, obabkas compete with boletus mushrooms both when preparing for future use and in hot dishes.
Colored-footed obabok is suitable for all types of processing. It can be fried, dried, boiled, pickled.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the colored-legged squash has valuable taste qualities, it is worth refraining from collecting it on the territory of Russia.Otherwise, it is in vain that the staff of the Blagoveshchensky Nature Reserve in the Amur Region are working to preserve this species.
