Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Kenya

1. Golden oyster

The golden oyster(Pleurotus citrinopileatus) can be distinguished from other mushrooms by an iridescent butter-yellow cap that matures into the color of sunshine. As the color intensifies, the cap also becomes more brittle, making it very difficult to handle. The golden oyster is a delicious species that is highly desirable for culinary uses.

2. Black-footed polypore

This inedible fungus grows on fallen wood and stumps of deciduous trees. Black-footed polypores have the ability to remain through the winter, as they rot very slowly after releasing their spores. They are thus appreciated for providing a bit of visual interest in winter landscapes.

3. Fan-shaped jelly-fungus

Just as its Latin and the common English names suggest, the fan-shaped jelly-fungus (Dacryopinax spathularia) is a fan-shaped or spatula-shaped jelly-like mushroom. It commonly grows in wood cracks and it sometimes even appears in the cracks of the processed wood and lumber. Despite the word "jelly" in its name, the fan-shaped jelly-fungus is not considered edible.

4. Shaggy mane

The shaggy mane mushroom is commonly found in North American and European grasslands. Some peoples foraged for its young egg-shaped caps, but it has more recently been found to be a bioaccumulator of heavy metals, meaning it pulls toxic metals up from the soil where it grows. As a result, shaggy manes should not be eaten. The mushrooms usually appear in clusters or “fairy rings.”

5. Clitocybula abundans

Clitocybula abundans grows on dead hardwood or conifer trees. Its specific epithet, abundans, was given for obvious reasons: the mushrooms sprout abundantly in clusters. Each fruiting body tends to grow with a belly-button-like center to the cap which may or may not be a darker color.

6. Gold-flecked woodwax

This rare mushroom’s claim to fame comes from the remarkable yellow scales scattered over an otherwise ivory fruitbody. However, not every specimen of the gold-flecked woodwax (Hygrophorus chrysodon) species boasts these brightly-colored speckles. Examples of this species can usually be found under conifers.

7. Midden inkcap

C. sterquilinus has an ellipsoid or ovoid cap, some 40 to 60 millimetres (1.6 to 2.4 in) by 20 to 30 millimetres (0.8 to 1.2 in) when closed, becoming conical and then flattening out to a width of 60 millimetres (2.4 in). It is white, flocculous and fibrillose when young, becoming more scaly with a creamy centre as it matures. There are more than fifty gills, white at first, turning to grey and then black. The stipe or stem is slender, 80 to 150 millimetres (3 to 6 in) tall, with a moveable ring just above the slightly bulbous base. The spores are ellipsoid and very large at 17–26 by 10–15 µm, very dark reddish-brown to black.

8. The prince

This attractive mushroom grows around the world in open woodlands and parks, especially near conifers. The prince has a scent reminiscent of bitter almonds. Its firm, thick caps grow quite large, but often become quickly infested by maggots. Allergic reactions have been reported to this mushroom so it is best treated as a "look, but do not touch" species.

9. Blewit

The blewit mushroom grows in fallen leaves in autumn and winter, sometimes appearing in ‘fairy ring’ circles. It can be used to make a green dye when chopped and boiled in an iron pot. The scientific name, Lepista nuda, derives from Latin words meaning “bare goblet,” a reference to the shape and texture of the mushroom.

10. Common puffball

These puffy mushrooms grow in small groups on the forest floor. Once they're mature, common puffballs turn yellow and "puff out" smoke-like spore clouds when disturbed. Be very careful when identifying these mushrooms, as their young, immature form looks very similar to the lethal Deathcap.

11. Buttery collybia

Buttery collybia mushrooms grow mainly on the floors of coniferous forests, from summer to winter across Europe and North America. This mushroom is called “buttery” not for its flavor, but rather the greasy texture of its surface. In the genus name, “rhodo” means pink, a reference to the shade of the gills beneath its cap.

12. Meadow mushroom

The meadow mushroom grows in meadows and pastures around the world—especially those rich in manure—when the weather is warm and wet. They are known to appear in “fairy ring” shapes. Originally identified in Europe, it is possible that North American specimens identified as meadow mushrooms may genetically belong to other species.

13. Blue roundhead

There are just a few blue-green mushrooms in the world, and the beautiful blue roundhead is one of them. The species is very similar in looks to its close relative Verdigris agaric (Stropharia aeruginosa). Both species are considered toxic.

14. Parasol

Found in clearings and grassy areas in late summer, the wild parasol mushroom has a snakeskin-patterned stem. The brown spots on its cap make it look a bit shaggy, but that name is reserved for its poisonous counterpart, the Shaggy Parasol (Chlorophyllum rhacodes). You can distinguish the two by the stems: the latter has a smooth stem and red flesh inside.

15. Enoki

The enoki grows wild on dead elm trees, and is also cultivated for human use. This flavorful species (Flammulina velutipes) has been used in dishes around the world for generations, being particularly high in nutrients. Though store-bought enoki are often plain white, wild ones can be found in a range of colors.

16. White dapperling

White dapperling mushrooms grow in scattered groups across open fields in the northern hemisphere. They can occasionally cause toxic reactions in humans, and their similarity to extremely poisonous lookalikes like Deathcap and Destroying Angel make them hazardous to handle.

17. Wine cap stropharia

These large mushrooms have distinctive red caps when young, but the color soon fades to brown as they mature. Rare in the wild, wine cap stropharia are highly regarded among foragers as a desirable edible mushroom. Discard any specimens with holes in the stalk or caps, as flies use them to lay eggs. They are also cultivated.

18. Honey fungus

The honey fungus is a parasitic fungus that grows on the roots of many woody and perennial plants, damaging and possibly killing its host. It spreads underground and is considered to be the most damaging fungal disease in gardens across the UK. The appearance of the mushrooms above-ground heralds a much more extensive infection below.

19. Golden oyster