Rhizopogon roseolus or Choiromyces venosus

The fruiting body is round or egg-shaped and elongated, 1–3 cm across. The surface of a young mushroom is white with a distinctive pinkish or violet-pink tint. With age it darkens to yellowish brown or ocher, more rarely to reddish brown. The surface is smooth or has fine fibrous mycelial strands at the base.

The fruiting body is an irregular, tuber-like lump, 2–8 cm (sometimes up to 12 cm) across. When young it’s white or cream, with a smooth surface. With age it turns yellowish-brown with reddish-brown blotches. The surface is matte and may wrinkle slightly as it matures.

The spore-bearing layer is inside. In young ones the gleba is white and firm; as it matures it develops a distinctive labyrinth-like structure with cavities. Spore print ocher-brown. Spores smooth, oblong, 7–16 × 3–5 µm.

The spore-bearing layer is inside — in a young mushroom the “flesh” is uniformly white; as it matures, distinctive labyrinth-like, net-like darker veins develop, running through the white base. Cut open, a mature mushroom shows a striking marbled pattern — which is where the name “meandriformis” comes from (after the meanders of a river).

There is no stem. The fruiting body is hypogeous (underground), fully buried in the soil or with just the very top poking through the surface. At the base there are distinctive mycelial strands.

There’s no stem — the fruiting body is hypogeous (underground), fully buried in the soil. It is attached to the substrate by thin mycelial strands.

The flesh (gleba) is white, firm and meaty in young specimens. As it matures it turns yellowish or ocher and becomes spongy with cavities. In old ones it is watery and dark brown.

In young mushrooms the flesh is solid white, dense and meaty. In mature ones it’s a white base with a network of yellow-brown or grayish veins. The texture resembles a firm cheese.

The smell is faint; in young ones it recalls raw nuts or fresh almonds. In mature ones it grows stronger, with a note of raw root vegetables. The taste is mild and bland.

The smell is strong and peculiar — like a mix of Camembert cheese, canned mushrooms and raw potato. In fresh specimens it’s pleasant; in overripe ones it becomes sharp and unpleasant. The taste is mild, with a nutty note.