Herb. No. 131 · Boletaceae
Temperate king bolete of spruce, pine, beech, and birch woods. Habitat map, not a pin.
Native · Europe · North America · East Asia
Native Also grown
LegalCautionfungus
Porcini
Boletus edulis
The king bolete — a bun-capped woodland mushroom whose sponge pores, not gills, are the first ID lesson.
Porcini (Boletus edulis and close kin) are mycorrhizal boletes of temperate woods: brown cap, stout netted stem, white-to-yellow pores that do not bruise blue in the true king. Bitter boletes fool the greedy; some blue-staining boletes are inedible. This plate teaches recognition and cooking. There is no reliable kitchen-block crop, so the grow lab is habitat only.
Flavor
Deep nutty umami, a little meat. Dried is louder than fresh. Worms vote early.
Parts used
Fruiting body
Helpful
- Among the best wild edibles when you are sure
- Dries into a cupboard treasure
Cautions
- Lookalikes
- Not a garden crop
- Maggots and rain can ruin a basket