Porcini Mushroom

Name: Porcini mushroom, also called cep, penny bun or king bolete (Boletus edulis) — a stout wild mushroom with a thick, bulbous, pale stem, a smooth brown cap and a spongy underside instead of gills. The name porcini is Italian for “piglets,” and cep comes from French.

Description

Porcini grow in forests across Europe, North America and Asia, living in partnership with trees such as oak, pine and spruce, and so far have not been successfully farmed. Italy, France, Poland and Russia have long traditions of gathering them in late summer and autumn, and they are central to the cooking of northern Italy and France.

Porcini have a rich, nutty, meaty, earthy flavour, with a firm texture. Dried porcini, widely sold in packets, are even more intensely flavoured, and the strained soaking liquid is a prized flavouring in soups, risotto and sauces.

Main nutrition value

Porcini provide protein, B vitamins, potassium, copper and fibre, and are notably flavourful, so a small amount flavours a whole dish.

How best to be consumed

Porcini are used fresh and dried, with dried ones giving a deep, concentrated flavour.

1. Slice fresh porcini and pan-fry in butter or olive oil with garlic and parsley.
2. Soak dried porcini in hot water for 20 minutes, then use the mushrooms and strained liquid in risotto, pasta, soups and stews.
3. Grill thick caps like steaks, or shave raw, young caps thinly over salads in Italy.
4. Grind dried porcini into a powder for seasoning.
5. Buy firm, dry, unblemished mushrooms, and check for worms.

Overconsumption could cause…

Porcini are safe when correctly identified and cooked.

1. Mushroom poisoning from mistaken identification of wild fungi, some of which are deadly and look very similar to edible kinds, so never eat wild mushrooms unless an expert has identified them.
2. Allergic reactions or digestive upset in some people, and stomach discomfort from the fibre (chitin) and sugars in mushrooms in large servings.
3. Digestive upset from eating them raw in large amounts, so cook them thoroughly.
4. Contamination with heavy metals or radiation in wild mushrooms from polluted areas.

GroupsMushroomsFungi (mushrooms)Fresh

Related foodsBlack FungusChanterelle MushroomCordyceps MushroomCremini MushroomEnoki MushroomKing Oyster Mushroom

Wikipedia — Boletus edulis, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boletus_edulis