Top 20 Edible Mushrooms Popular in Catalonia
Immerse in the world of Mycology as we explore the bounty of nature hidden in the forests of Catalonia. This territory, rich in hardwood forests and consistent rainfall, provides ideal conditions for mycelium to flourish. In this guide, we will enumerate the 20 most prevalent edible mushrooms found here; delving into key aspects like their distinctive appearances, unique flavors, natural habitats, and culinary applications. Let's embark on this gastronomic journey and get acquainted with the glorious realm of fungi in Catalonia.
* 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. Bloody milk cap
Bloody milk cap (Lactarius sanguifluus) has a distinctive appearance with its pale exterior but a deep blood-red interior, for which it is named. This mushroom can be found in pine forests where it grows in a mycorrhizal relationship with the trees. Bloody milk cap is known to accumulate large quantities of toxic heavy metals.
2. Porcelain mushroom
Porcelain mushroom can be found on a variety of deadwood including logs, dead standing trees, and dead upper branches. However, this mushroom is pickier about the type of deadwood, as it only grows on beech trees. This mushroom prefers to keep these trees to itself, releasing fungicides that can kill other mushrooms.
3. 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.
4. Lactarius subumbonatus
5. 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.
6. Copper spike
A European fungus, the copper spike is is visually almost indistinguishable from its North American counterpart - Chroogomphus ochraceus, although molecular studies have shown that these two are different species. Its cap becomes slimy when wet, hence the common name. The cap color is highly variable and it can range from yellowish, to orange, purplish, reddish, and brown.
7. 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.”
8. Agaricus osecanus
9. Yellow foot
Like all members of the Craterellus genus, the yellow foot doesn't have true gills but wrinkled veins instead. These gill-like wrinkles are extremely subtle in this mushroom and its undersurface seems like it's completely smooth. The species is associated with conifer forests.
10. 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.
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