I live in Europe. Just go by the rule of thumb, if you’re unsure, do not eat. Does it have a porous underside, if yes, most of the times edible. Does it have lamelles, if yes, be careful.
Apart from the very dangerous ones, that you should know. If you’re a bit knowledgeable, take a pinch and put it in your tongue, if it’s spicy or stinging, it’s not edible. Is it neutral, it’s likely to be edible.
If you go by that order you should be fine. Never forget number 1 though.
Don’t go by any general rules. If you are unsure, take it home and sit down with your mushroom guide book and go through all the ways of identifying it and separating it from similar species until you are sure, or you give up and throw it away.
Just off the cuff here are a couple of examples that violate the advice given above, golden chanterelle is very spicy but perfectly edible; gyromitra esculenta (“false morel”) does not have lamelles, is supposed to be mildly flavoured, but is deadly toxic.
Yes but a morel does not have a porous underside, hence I’d be careful anyway. As for chanterelles, I feel like you don’t really have much room to mistake it for something else.
However it’s been sometime since I went into the woods and I’ve always disliked the English naming for mushrooms and basically don’t know any in English
I live in Europe. Just go by the rule of thumb, if you’re unsure, do not eat. Does it have a porous underside, if yes, most of the times edible. Does it have lamelles, if yes, be careful. Apart from the very dangerous ones, that you should know. If you’re a bit knowledgeable, take a pinch and put it in your tongue, if it’s spicy or stinging, it’s not edible. Is it neutral, it’s likely to be edible. If you go by that order you should be fine. Never forget number 1 though.
Don’t go by any general rules. If you are unsure, take it home and sit down with your mushroom guide book and go through all the ways of identifying it and separating it from similar species until you are sure, or you give up and throw it away.
Just off the cuff here are a couple of examples that violate the advice given above, golden chanterelle is very spicy but perfectly edible; gyromitra esculenta (“false morel”) does not have lamelles, is supposed to be mildly flavoured, but is deadly toxic.
And at the end of the day, if you have separated it but you’re STILL not sure, throw it out. Not having mushrooms is preferable to being a corpse.
Yes but a morel does not have a porous underside, hence I’d be careful anyway. As for chanterelles, I feel like you don’t really have much room to mistake it for something else. However it’s been sometime since I went into the woods and I’ve always disliked the English naming for mushrooms and basically don’t know any in English