Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in South Africa

1. 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.”

2. White-rot fungus

The white-rot fungus is known as a white-rot fungus and it's usually found growing on dead wood. When young, the mushroom is soft and leathery, but it becomes extremely tough as it matures, obtaining a funnel-shaped fruiting body.

3. Chicken of the woods

Chicken of the woods is very noticeable in hardwood forests, appearing in clusters on standing tree trunks in bright orange and yellow hues that sometimes last through the entire winter. It is a parasite that causes an unfortunate brown heart rot, and is considered a particularly troublesome pest of Yew trees. If the fruitbodies can be seen, the tree is likely already beyond saving.

4. 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.

5. Blusher

The blusher mushroom is so named because it “blushes” to a pinkish red color when cut or bruised. It is found in many countries around the world, although it may not be native to the southern hemisphere. It contains a hemolytic toxin that can cause anemia if eaten.

6. Dead man's foot

Dead man's foot (Pisolithus arhizus) actually bears a number of colorful names stemming from its unusual appearance, such as the horse dung fungus (Australia). It can be distilled into a viscous black gel, which is then used as a natural dye for clothing. It is considered to be inedible.

7. Saffron milk cap

Growing wild in the northern hemisphere and introduced to Australia, the saffron milk cap is found in pine forests during autumn. As the name implies, these mushrooms have been harvested for cooking for a long time. They have been known to cause stomach upset in some individuals, however, and carry a risk of being contaminated with heavy metals, so forage with caution.

8. King bolete

Extremely popular in many cuisines, this edible wild mushroom grows around the world near the roots of forest trees. In some regions, king bolete mushrooms are collected in great enough volumes that their sale can support entire families during the harvest season. King boletes are reported to be high in fiber, vitamins B and C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and several antioxidants.

9. 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.

10. Common laccaria

Common laccaria may sound like a malevolent name for a mushroom, but fret not! This species is so-called because its appearance is highly variable, with individual caps taking on a whole host of colors, from whitish to pinkish to dark brown.

11. 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.

12. Scaly lentinus

Scaly lentinus(Neolentinus lepideus) may be found alone or in groups along dead or decaying pieces of timber. Due to its ability to colonize even chemically treated wood, including railroad tracks, it has been given the nickname "train wrecker." Due to inconsistent reports of safety, consumption is discouraged.

13. 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.

14. Bay bolete

The common bay bolete is found across the northern hemisphere, often in spruce and pine forests and occasionally under deciduous trees. While it lives in a symbiotic relationship with a living tree, the mushrooms are most often found near well-decayed, mossy stumps, usually singly or in very small groups.

15. Red cracking bolete

The red cracking bolete mushroom is considered difficult to accurately identify, due to its similarity in many ways to others of its genus. It seems to occur only rarely around the northern hemisphere, but it may have been misclassified in some sources. In spite of the name, the surface of the red cracking bolete's cap only rarely appears "cracked."

16. Bovine bolete

The bovine bolete (Suillus bovinus) often appears in a three-way relationship not only with the roots of pine trees but also with another parasitic mushroom known as the Rosy Spike. This greasy-capped mushroom appears clustered in tight tufts, which is unusual for a bolete. Bovine boletes give off a faint fruity aroma.

17. Fairy ring mushroom

Fairy ring mushrooms may dry out completely in the sun, but will “resurrect” during the next rain and regain their ability to make new spores. This is due to a sugar called trehalose which protects their cells. They appear in lawns and fields, sometimes in “fairy ring” configurations.

18. Weeping bolete

The weeping bolete features a greasy, sticky cap surface. When young, milky droplets are released through pores on its surface. It appears most commonly beneath Scots pine or other coniferous trees and forms a mutually beneficial relationship with its host.

19. 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.

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