Bitter bolete, the porcini look-alike

The bitter bolete is the most annoying look-alike of porcini. It isn't poisonous, but it's so bitter that even a single mushroom can ruin a whole pot. On the outside it looks so much like porcini that it's easy to pick by mistake. Let's look at how to recognize the bitter bolete and keep it from spoiling your mushroom dish.

How to recognize the bitter bolete

Three signs that give the bitter bolete away:

Pores (underside of the cap) with a pinkish tint. In young mushrooms they are white, turning dirty pink with age. In porcini the underside is white, later yellow-greenish, but never pink.
Dark net on the stem. The bitter bolete's stem has a clear dark, brownish net pattern. In porcini the net is pale.
The cut flesh turns pinkish (sometimes barely noticeably), while in porcini it stays white.

And the simplest check of all: carefully touch a crumb of the flesh with the tip of your tongue — the bitter bolete is unbearably bitter. You don't need to swallow any of the mushroom.

Where and when it appears

The bitter bolete grows in coniferous and mixed forests on acidic soils, often right next to porcini — in the same places and at the same time, from June to October. That's exactly why it's so easy to pick up along with porcini.

Is the bitter bolete poisonous?

The bitter bolete is not poisonous; you can't be poisoned by it. The problem is something else — its unbearable bitterness, which only gets stronger with cooking. So a dish it has spoiled can't be saved. Why mushrooms can be bitter — in the article why mushrooms taste bitter.

How not to confuse it with porcini

Remember the main thing: pink pores + dark net on the stem + bitterness = bitter bolete. In porcini the underside is white or yellow-greenish, the net is pale, and the flesh is sweetish and doesn't turn pink. If in doubt, leave it. About other look-alikes — in the article June look-alikes: cornflower bolete and bitter bolete.

Sources

“Field Guide to the Fungi of Ukraine” (Kyiv, Naukova Dumka publishing house).
Tylopilus felleus in GBIF, the global biodiversity database.
Bitter bolete on Wikipedia.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognize the bitter bolete?

By the pinkish tint of the pores under the cap, a clear dark net on the stem and unbearably bitter flesh. In porcini the underside is white or yellow-greenish, the net is pale and the taste is sweetish.

Is the bitter bolete poisonous?

No, the bitter bolete isn't poisonous; you can't be poisoned by it. Its problem is its unbearable bitterness, which only gets stronger with cooking and ruins the whole dish.

How does the bitter bolete differ from porcini?

The bitter bolete has pink pores, a dark net on the stem and bitter flesh that sometimes turns pinkish when cut. Porcini has a white or yellow-greenish underside, a pale net, and sweetish flesh that doesn't turn pink.

Why is the bitter bolete so bitter?

Bitterness is a natural property of the mushroom that protects it from being eaten. It doesn't go away with cooking — on the contrary, it gets stronger, so even one bitter bolete ruins a whole dish.

How can you check whether it's a bitter bolete?

You can carefully touch a crumb of the flesh with the tip of your tongue — the bitter bolete is unbearably bitter. You don't need to swallow any of the mushroom. But it's more reliable to go by the pink pores and the dark net.

Where does the bitter bolete grow?

In coniferous and mixed forests on acidic soils, often next to porcini, from June to October. Because they share the same spots, it's often picked by mistake instead of porcini.

What happens if you eat a bitter bolete?

You won't be poisoned — the mushroom isn't poisonous. But the strong bitterness will make the dish inedible. So the bitter bolete is valuable mainly as a chance to train your eye to tell it from porcini.