Borovik royal: description and photo

Borovik royal, which is also called the king of mushrooms, is a real find for lovers of “silent hunting”. In addition to excellent taste, the fruiting body of this representative is also distinguished by useful properties, for which it is valued by experienced mushroom pickers.

What do royal mushrooms look like

The appearance of the boletus is its calling card. It is difficult to confuse it with other representatives due to a number of features:

1. head. In young specimens, it has a convex shape, which eventually changes to cushion-shaped. In mature mushrooms, it becomes prostrate, and a dent forms in the central part. The color can be from red-violet to bright pink. But as it grows, the shade becomes paler (and in pine forests, on the contrary, it gets darker). At the same time, the skin of the cap is tender and smooth, light cracks can be observed on it, forming a characteristic pattern. The diameter of the upper part of the fruiting body reaches 15 cm.
2. Boletus leg royal grows up to 15 cm, and in diameter – up to 6 – 8 cm. Its color is yellow-brown, but near the cap there is a bright yellow mesh pattern.

Where do royal mushrooms grow

Pine forests are the main habitats of these representatives. But they can also be found in deciduous plantations: the main thing is that the soil is sandy or calcareous. In Our Country, royal mushrooms grow in the Far East and the Caucasus region. They can be found both in groups and as single specimens. The peak of productivity falls on the end of June – the beginning of July. The last mushrooms are harvested in September.

Is it possible to eat royal mushrooms

This species is classified as edible. At the same time, fruiting bodies are distinguished by excellent taste and aroma.

Taste qualities of mushroom boletus royal

Boletus pulp is highly valued, which has a dense solid structure. The calorie content of the product is low (34 kcal per 100 g). The water content reaches 85%. And in dried raw materials, the energy value increases by almost 10 times.

In addition to taste features, the mushroom also boasts a composition that contains vitamins C, E, PP, B, macro- and microelements magnesium, sulfur, potassium, chlorine, chromium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, rubidium, cobalt, fluorine, silicon, iron, zinc, manganese, etc. As for the nutritional value of mushrooms, it is not very high: the fact is that mushroom protein is not easily digestible.

False doubles

The royal boletus has many “relatives” similar to it. All of them belong to the Boletov family. But one of the false twins is a beautiful boletus. It is an inedible species that is prohibited for consumption.

Distinctive characteristics of this variety:

1. Hat color – brown, brown or olive. In young specimens, the upper part has a hemispherical shape, then becomes slightly convex. With age, the edges of the cap are bent inward.
2. Leg – cylindrical. Its color is white, lemon, reddish or pink.
3. Taste – bitter even after prolonged boiling.

Collection rules

You can pick mushrooms only in places remote from industrial enterprises and highways. Fruiting bodies easily absorb exhaust gases and waste products such as poisons and heavy metals.

Use

“King of Mushrooms” is considered a real delicacy. From the product you can cook any dishes, dry, freeze. Most often, the royal boletus is used for pickling, stewing and frying. Experienced cooks have in their stock a lot of recipes for cooking original dishes.

With high taste qualities, the product has a number of useful properties that enable the versatile use of the royal mushroom.

1. Helps improve digestion. Mushroom broths are several times healthier than meat broths.
2. Normalizes the state of the thyroid gland.
3. Improves the appearance of skin, nails and hair.
4. It has an antibacterial, wound healing and tonic effect. It has an antitumor effect.
5. Raises immunity.
6. May fight cancer.
7. Clears the walls of blood vessels from cholesterol.
8. Promotes the renewal of body cells.
9. It alleviates the condition of tuberculosis patients due to the amino acids in the composition.
10. Has a regenerating effect. Eliminates frostbite. Royal boletus extract is used in the treatment of ulcerative formations.
11. Dried raw materials help fight headaches, anemia.

Conclusion

Borovik royal is a healthy and tasty mushroom, which occupies a special place among connoisseurs and lovers of quiet hunting. The main thing is not to confuse it with inedible counterparts that can cause poisoning.