Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Taupo
Nestled deep within New Zealand's heartland, Taupo provides a thriving habitat for fungi, boasting a diverse array of edible mushrooms. This list details 20 of the most common species, exploring their unique tastes, stunning appearances, culinary uses and natural habitats. Knowledgeable foragers and food enthusiasts alike can benefit from this comprehensive examination of Taupo's flavorful fungal flora.
* Disclaimer: Content feedback CAN NOT be used as any basis for EATING ANY PLANTS. Some plants can be VERY POISONOUS, please purchase edible plants through regular channels.
Most Popular Edible Mushrooms
1. Wood ear
The fuzzy surface of the wood ear (Auricularia cornea) is a distinguishable characteristic of this wood-loving mushroom. The hairy, ear-shaped body transforms in color when exposed to moisture and can range from chocolate brown to dull gray.
2. Brown birch-bolete
The brown birch-bolete is common around the northern hemisphere. It grows beneath birch trees and is usually easy to identify by its brown cap and scaly stem, the latter of which is referenced in its scientific name Leccinum scabrum. Occasionally, however, it can be found sporting a white cap.
3. Slippery jack
This mushroom blooms in summer and autumn, usually near or beneath pine trees. It does well in cold climates, but can also be found further south all around the northern hemisphere. During moist weather, the slippery jack's caps become quite slimy, leading to their common name.
4. 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.
5. 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.”
6. Snow fungus
Snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) is so-named not because it is associated with winter, but, rather, because its fruitbodies look like little piles of snow fungus on the ground. This fungus actually inhabits very warm - tropical and subtropical - locations around the globe. Snow fungus does not have much taste, but it is cultivated for culinary use across East Asia, where it is often added to thicken soups and desserts.
7. Larch bolete
Larch bolete is a vibrant member of the "slippery jack" genus. Like other members of that family, this species sports a slick or slimy cap and has a somewhat bulbous form. Suillus grevillei is also commonly called a "Larch Bolete" because it only associates with larch trees, with which it has a symbiotic relationship.
8. Big sheath mushroom
These large white mushrooms bloom all over cleared, harvested fields, as well as pastures and roadsides. The scientific species name comes from Greek words meaning “glue” (glioio) and “head” (cephalus), in reference to the sticky surface of this mushroom’s cap. The big sheath mushroom looks so similar to the poisonous Deathcap and Destroying Angel mushrooms that it should always be left alone.
9. Peppery bolete
Peppery bolete(Chalciporus piperatus) has coloration ranging from browns to oranges, from pigments that lend themselves to the creation of natural dyes. Not only does peppery bolete prefer sandy soils and coniferous/beech trees, but it is also known to maintain parasitic relationships with certain other species of mushroom.
10. Flame fungus
Flame fungus is hard to miss, with its bright colors that range from pink to brilliant red and orange. It is often found singularly or in groups on forest floors and looks similar to a small flame. The tapering stem fills out and becomes waxy as flame fungus matures.
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