Everything about Boletus Edulis totally explained
Boletus edulis is an edible
basidiomycete mushroom. Most commonly known as
porcini (from the plural of its
Italian name
porcino), it has a number of common names, including
cep (from its
Catalan name
cep or its
French name
cèpe),
king bolete and
penny bun, or in the Hungarian language
vargánya.
The fruiting body is a large imposing mushroom the cap of which may reach in diameter and in weight. Symbiotic, it forms an
ectomycorrhizal association with pine and is found in pine forests and plantations in autumn.
Highly prized,
Boletus edulis is commercially sold fresh in autumn in central and southern Europe but is also dried and distributed worldwide.
Taxonomy
Boletus edulis was first described in 1783 by the French botanist
Pierre Bulliard and still bears its original name. Early alternate names include
Boletus solidus by
James Sowerby in 1809 and
Gray's Leccinum edule. It is the first named and type species of the genus
Boletus, the generic name derived from the
Latin term
Bōlētus 'mushroom' from the
Ancient Greek βωλιτης, ultimately from
bōlos/βωλος 'lump' or 'clod'. However, the βωλιτης of
Galen is thought to have been the much prized
Amanita caesarea.
The French name
cèpe, or more fully
cèpe de Bordeaux, is derived from the
Gascon cep 'trunk' for its fat stalk. The name
porcini meaning 'piglets' in
Italian, as the young fruiting bodies resemble little piglets. A similar idea saw them called
suilli by the Ancient Romans. The English
penny bun and
German Steinpilz 'stone mushroom' also refer to their rounded brownish shape. However in Austria it's called the 'gentleman's mushroom'. They are known as
hed tab tao in
Thai.
However, the most appreciated by gourmets are the young small porcini, as the large ones often harbor
maggots (insect larvae), and become slimy, soft and less tasty with age.
It is often confused with the very bitter and unpalatable
Tylopilus felleus, but can be distinguished by the reticulation on the stalk; in porcini it's a whitish net-like pattern on a brownish stalk whereas it's a dark pattern on white in the latter. Porcini have whitish pores while the other has pink. If in doubt, tasting a tiny bit of flesh will yield a bitter taste.
Collection
Cutting the stipe with a knife is alleged to run the risk of the left part rotting and destroying the mycelium. Fruiting bodies are instead collected by holding the stipe near the base and twisting gently. Peeling and washing are not recommended.
Distribution and habitat
Boletus edulis can be found most commonly in
Europe and
North America. The mushroom can grow singly or in small clusters of two or three specimens. Its habitat consists of areas dominated by
pine (
Pinus spp.),
spruce (
Picea spp.), Eastern hemlock (
Tsuga canadensis) and
fir (
Abies spp.) trees. Not limited to these locations, the King Bolete is also found in hardwood forests containing oaks. It fruits from summer to autumn, following sustained rainfall. This mushroom can be found during the Fall in Syria and Lebanon where it grows in large clusters on decaying oak tree stumps.
It is well known to grow in the
Borgotaro area of
Parma,
Italy, and has
PGI status there.
Boletus edulis has been reported from the vicinity of
Christchurch in
New Zealand, where it's likely to have been somehow introduced. It has been growing plentifully in association with pine forests in the southern
KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in South Africa for more than 50 years. It isn't indigenous to the region, and is believed to have been brought there with the import of pine trees.
Culinary uses
As the name implies,
Boletus edulis is edible, and a polled sample of people consider it superior to most other porcini in flavor and in texture—which is supported by its higher retail price. It is described as nutty and slightly meaty, with a smooth, creamy texture. This mushroom has a distinct aroma reminiscent of
sourdough. It has a higher water content than other edible mushrooms. When dried,
Boletus edulis has more protein than all other commonly consumed vegetables apart from soybeans. However, some of this content is indigestible, though digestibility is improved with cooking. Porcini are eaten and enjoyed raw, sautéed with
butter, ground into
pasta, in
risotto, in soups, and in many other dishes. They are a feature of many cuisines, including
Provençal, and
Viennese. They are used in soups and consumed blanched in salads in
Thailand.
Boletus edulis, along with
Boletus badius and other boletes can be dried by stringing them separately on twine and hanging close to the ceiling of a kitchen. Alternatively they can be cleaned, but they shouldn't be washed, and then placed in a wicker basket or bamboo steamer on top of a boiler or hot water tank. Once dry, they're best kept in an airtight jar. Drying them in the oven is inadvisable as it can result in them being cooked and spoiling. Importantly for commercial production, porcini retain their flavor after industrial preparation in a pressure cooker or after canning or bottling, and are thus useful for manufacturers of soups or stews. The addition of a few pieces of dried porcini can significantly add to flavor.
According to official figures, around 3000 tons were sold in France, Italy and Germany in 1988. However, the true amount consumed far exceeds this as collecting and informal sales are not included. They are widely exported and sold in dried form, reaching countries where they don't occur naturally, such as Australia. A 1998 survey estimates between 20,000 and 100,000 tons are consumed worldwide.
As with other strictly mycorrhizal fungi, Boletus edulis has eluded attempts to cultivate it.
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