Edibility class

Edible

When a mycological guide labels a mushroom "Edible" (without the word "conditionally"), it means the species belongs to the safest and most valuable category of macrofungi. These are the so-called "first- and second-category mushrooms" that form the foundation of mushroom cuisine worldwide.

24 species in the database.

What makes a mushroom edible?

The key feature of a fully edible mushroom is the complete absence of toxins, hemolytic substances or strong gastrointestinal irritants.

According to M.Ya. Zerova's classification, edible mushrooms need no special preparation (soaking, fermentation or lengthy pre-boiling with the water poured off). You can toss them straight into the pan, add them to soup, pickle or dry them.

This elite group includes:

1. Porcini (Boletus edulis): The benchmark of flavor. It can even be eaten raw as carpaccio (although this isn't recommended because of the risk of infection with soil bacteria or the fox tapeworm).

2. Chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius): Contains no poisons, is almost never maggoty and has a wonderful fruity aroma.

3. Agaricus mushrooms (Agaricus): The classic wood and field mushrooms (Agaricus campestris), much like the ones we're used to seeing on supermarket shelves.

4. Saffron milk caps (Lactarius deliciosus): Among the few milk caps that aren't bitter and are considered first-class edible mushrooms, good for quick salting or frying.

Safety rules even for edible mushrooms

David Arora stresses in «Mushrooms Demystified»: even a perfectly edible mushroom can cause severe poisoning if you break the rules of foraging:

- Environment: Edible mushrooms picked near highways, chemical plants or on city lawns accumulate heavy metals (lead, cadmium) and become toxic.

- Age: An old, flabby porcini in which bacterial breakdown of proteins has begun (producing cadaveric poisons) will cause the same poisoning as spoiled meat.

Questions and answers

If a mushroom is edible, can I eat it raw?

Although gourmets eat some species raw (such as young Agaricus mushrooms or porcini), mycologists strongly advise always cooking mushrooms (at least a light sauté). The chitinous cell walls of fungi are very hard to digest, and heat breaks them down so your body can absorb the valuable proteins.

Are brittlegills ever completely edible?

Most green, yellow and bare-toothed brittlegills are fully edible and don't need boiling. However, among red-capped brittlegills there are species (such as the sickener) that contain acrid substances, which is why the whole group is sometimes classed as needing caution.

Sources

1.Зерова М.Я. та ін. Визначник грибів України. 1979
2.Roger Phillips. Mushrooms (Roger Phillips)
3.David Arora. Mushrooms Demystified
4.Index Fungorum