Last Autumn I had the opportunity to travel to Firenze in Italy and visit the forest of Casentinesi that I have detailed in this previous post: A forest walk in the Casentinesi National Forest - Florence (Italy).
tl;dr
In a beech tree forest (Fagus sylvatica) the weather changed fast and sun gave place to fog and some rain, as it was early Autumn :)
At the time, I just briefly wrote about this parasol mushroom, and as we are still in FungiFriday, let's get a bit closer and know how to identify it.
| Family | Scientific name | Common names | Fruiting season | Habitat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agaricaceae | Macrolepiota procera | parasol mushroom | July to November in Britain and Ireland; later in southern Europe.. | woodland clearings |
Macrolepiota procera is the scientific name of the known parasol mushroom.
This mushroom is widely sought after due to its great taste and because it is easy to identify:
1. When mature the cap is really big ranging between 10 to 25 cm in diameter.
Pretty easy to spot!
2. It has gills underneath the cap that are white or pale cream, free and quite crowded, terminating some distance from the stipe.
3. Large double-edged ring (or skirt) is tick and is not attached very well and can usually be moved up and down the stem.
4. Smooth white or cream stem, with small greyish to brown scales that often give it a banded, snakeskin effect. It can grow up yo 30 cm almost always with the skirt still on nearly 2/3 of the way up the stem.
Sometimes the stem is hollow and the flesh on cutting is often very fibrous. The diameter ranges from 1 to 1,5 cm.
5. Bulbous base, a little like members of the Amanita family, but it's not a volva. The bulbous base diameter can reach 2,5 cm.
It is possible to see all these features in the following: Parasol Mushroom Identification, Macrolepiota procera video.
The parasol mushroom is edible and can be cooked in several ways
for at least 15 minutes
I have seen this Italian suggestion in a mushroom guide:
"Una delle migliori preparazioni è quella al forno, con le lamelle rivolte verso l'alto spolverate di sale e pepe, insaporite con fiocchetti di burro e scagliette di formaggi saporiti come l'emmenthal."
In other words:
- Place the parasol mushroom on a baking tray with gills facing upwards
- Season with salt, pepper and place some butter
- Sprinkle with cheese, such as Emmenthal
Ohh my, I'm about to start drooling just by imagining its flavors!
Be aware and do not eat similar species that do not have all the distinctive characteristics of Macrolepiota procera.
This post is my contribution to #FungiFriday by @ewkaw :)