Introduction to Mushrooms Revised April 2000
by By Michael W. Beug Email: beugm@evergreen.edu
The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA
Slide 27.
Boletus edulis is my number one favorite edible mushroom. The Germans call it Steinpilz or boulder mushroom because it can look like a boulder under the trees. The French call it Cep and here it is known as the King Bolete. I have found it in the mountains as early as mid-June and near the ocean as late as December. In the West, the prime season is mid-August at 5,000' or more. I once found a young button in the Tietons with a stem so big it took both hands to reach all of the way around - sautéed in olive oil and butter until golden brown, it served 12 people. When young and prime the tube mouths of Boletus edulis appear stuffed with a white material. As it ages the tube mouths can begin to be seen and the tubes turn olive-green to olive-brown in age. At this point it is frequently wormy and the cap flesh gets flabby. If the white covering is still concealing the tubes, I sauté and eat the whole thing. On somewhat older but still prime specimens I slice and dry the cap for later use and only cook and eat the stipe because the cap cooks up slimy on all but the youngest Kings. A very few people react to Boletus edulis. Like all foods there are individual reactions. One woman gets an itching throat every time she eats Boletus edulis. One man suffers severe vomiting and diarrhea if he drinks alcohol and then eats Boletus edulis within 24 hours. Lots of people suffer stomach distress if they eat the King raw - the temptation of raw buttons is the firm texture and nutty taste, but it is wise to resist.
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