Cheshuchatka

Scales (foliot, royal honey agaric, willow) are mushrooms of the strophariaceae family. These bright “spiky” mushrooms adorn the autumn forest. In our country, it is not customary to collect and eat foliots for food, but in Japan and China they are cultivated on an industrial scale.

These mushrooms are mostly inedible, because the flesh has an unpleasant taste and smell. However, mushrooms of those species whose pulp is edible are valued by experienced mushroom pickers and are used by them on a par with real mushrooms.

Botanical description

Mushrooms of the genus scaly are hat-legged. The caps are hemispherical in young specimens and almost flat in mature specimens. Their surface of yellow-brown shades has a distinctive recognizable feature – protruding scales. It is for this feature that mushrooms got their name. The diameter of their hats ranges from 5 to 18 cm (depending on the species). The plates on the underside of the caps are thick, adherent, different shades of yellow or brown. Spore powder orange. The flesh of the foliot is brown in color, has a bitter taste and smell of radish. Most representatives of this genus are inedible, only a few species are conditionally edible. No poisonous specimens were found among the foliotes by mycologists.

The legs of the mushrooms are high (up to 12 cm), cylindrical, often tapering at the base, painted in the same color as the caps. Closer to the cap there is a ring in the form of flakes, below the ring the legs are covered with scales.

These mushrooms grow everywhere on trees and stumps in deciduous forests, forest plantations, and parks. Fruiting in July-November.

Types of scales

The genus of scales has about 150 species, of which about 30 grow in the forests of Russia. The most common types are folios: ordinary, golden, fiery, cinder, alder, gum-bearing, destructive, edible (nameko).

Common flake

This is the most common type. Mushrooms of this species are also called fleecy, scaly, dry. They grow in colonies on the wood of living and rotten hardwood trees. Hats have a diameter of 6-10 cm, in young they are hemispherical in shape, in mature ones they are flat. The surface of the caps is pale yellow with pronounced orange-brown scales.

The leg is cylindrical, dense, rusty in color. Juvenile specimens have a private spathe that tears at maturity, forming a ring on their stem and flakes around the cap margin.

The flesh of this species is fleshy, white or yellow, although edible, it tastes bitter.

Golden flake (royal mushrooms)

The golden species is one of the largest representatives of the foliot: the diameter of the cap can reach 18 cm. Their fruiting bodies are painted in bright yellow, golden color. The surface of the cap is covered with mucus and small dark brown scales. In young specimens, the hat has a hemispherical shape with tucked edges, in adulthood it is saucer-shaped with a convex center.

The pulp of these foliots does not smell and does not taste bitter, so the mushroom is edible.

Flake fiery

This is an inedible type of foliot. Mushrooms of this species are smaller than ordinary or golden ones: the diameter of the caps does not exceed 7 cm. The caps are painted in reddish tones and covered with thick, twisted scales of a lighter color than the cap. The scales on the hat form a pattern of ovals. The flesh is fleshy, hard, yellow, turns brown when broken, has an astringent bitter taste and an unpleasant odor, therefore it is not eaten. Fruiting from mid-July to late September.

Flake cinder

Cinder flake is also called coal-loving. Mushroom caps of this species are often stained with soot and mud, as their favorite place of growth is scorched trees, campfire sites. Soot, dust and dirt stick to the mucous surface of the caps, so the mushrooms quickly become dirty yellow or dirty brown. In young foliots, the caps are covered with a private veil; in mature foliots, the remnants of this veil are preserved in the form of a ring on the stem and along the edges of the cap. The legs are covered with small reddish scales. The pulp of these foliots is dense, hard, light yellow, has no specific taste and smell. There is no information on the edibility of these mushrooms in the literature. Grow from August to October.

Alder flake

These folios are also called alder moth. They are often found on stumps and wood of alder or birch. The size of the caps of moths is small: it does not exceed 5-6 cm. The color of the caps is yellow-orange, along their edge there are flaky remnants of a private bedspread. The legs are curved, have a pronounced ring. Below the ring – fibrous, above the ring – smooth.

The pulp of mushrooms is yellowish, dirty yellow, inedible. When eaten, moths can cause poisoning. Fruiting in August-September.

Flake gum

These mushrooms are also called yellow-green because their fruiting bodies, covered with scales, have a color from light yellow to yellow-green. The diameter of the caps of gum foliot is 3-6 cm. The pulp is edible, since it does not have a rare taste and smell specific to flakes.

They grow on old stumps and rotten wood of deciduous trees. Fruiting in August-October.

Flake destroying

These mushrooms are often found on old and dry poplars, so their second name is poplar foliot or poplar. These fungi in the process of their growth actively destroy the wood of the tree. Hats can reach 20 cm, are painted in light brown or yellowish color, covered with white scales. The legs are thinned towards the top, have swellings at the base. The legs match the color of the caps and are also covered with scales.

The pulp of foliot destroyers is inedible because it has an unpleasant odor and a bitter taste. Fruiting in August-November.

Flake edible

This type of foliot is industrial. Mushrooms of this species are cultivated on a large scale in Japan and China. Their second name is foliota or honey agaric hinto. Grown in rooms with high humidity – 90-95%. Grow in groups. The size of these mushrooms is small – no more than 2 cm in diameter. The color of the fruiting bodies is orange-brown, the surface is covered with thick dense jelly-like mucus.

They have soft pulp, taste and smell similar to real mushrooms. On the shelves of our stores you can often find pickled edible flakes made in China. Only the inscription on the bank says that it is mushrooms (the second name for edible flakes). Pickled folios differ from real mushrooms in their slimy marinade, which is due to the jelly-like coating of the caps of the latter.

Chemical composition

The pulp of royal mushrooms (golden flakes) contains the main nutrients:

• proteins – 2,2 g;
• fats – 1,2 g;
• carbohydrates – 5,6 g, of which 5,1 g are dietary fiber.

The low content of carbohydrate substances determines their low calorie content: only 22 kcal per 100 g of mushrooms.

In addition to nutrients, the pulp of these mushrooms contains many vitamins and minerals.

In terms of nutritional value, edible foliots belong to the very last (fourth) food category, that is, mushrooms of mediocre taste.

Useful Properties

The pulp of royal mushrooms is good for health, because, with its low calorie content, it contains the entire spectrum of essential amino acids, and in terms of the amount of phosphorus and calcium, it is comparable even to fish fillets.

Due to the presence of iron and magnesium in the pulp, these mushrooms are involved in the processes of hematopoiesis, normalize the conduction of impulses along nerve fibers, affect the synthesis of proteins in the human body and are catalysts for various chemical reactions.

Substances exhibiting bactericidal and antifungal effects were found in golden, gum-bearing and edible folios. The mucus covering the surface of the fruiting bodies of golden and edible scales has the following properties:

• stimulate cerebral circulation;
• increase immunity;
• relieve fatigue;
• restore vitality.

The flakes contain squarrosidine, a unique compound that inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidase. The enzyme xanthine oxidase promotes the crystallization of uric acid in the joints, kidneys and tissues of the body. By inhibiting this enzyme, squarrosidine prevents the precipitation of urate salts and thus prevents pain attacks in people with gout. In clinical practice, preparations containing a xanthine oxidase inhibitor as an active ingredient are used to treat gout.

There is evidence that products made on the basis of these mushrooms are able to exhibit anti-cancer properties.

Possible harm

In addition to useful properties, royal mushrooms can also have harmful effects on the human body. Their harm can be due to various factors:

1. They belong to inedible types of flakes.
2. Collected in places with unfavorable environmental conditions (near landfills, animal burial grounds, along roads, in industrial areas).
3. They are overripe or wormy.

Eating edible flake species is contraindicated in case of individual intolerance and allergies.

With gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis and impaired kidney function, taking foliot in food can cause an exacerbation.

Children’s age, the state of pregnancy and the period of breastfeeding are also absolute contraindications to the use of foliot in food.

It is strictly forbidden to eat royal mushrooms and alcoholic beverages at the same time. It has been scientifically established that when they are taken simultaneously, a disulfiram-like (coprine) syndrome develops.

This syndrome manifests itself in the form of symptoms of acute intoxication with intermediate products of the breakdown of alcohol:

• a rush of blood to the face;
• tinnitus;
• nausea and vomiting;
• stomach pain;
• an increase in body temperature;
• heart palpitations;
• difficulty breathing;
• panic state.

In severe cases, collaptoid states, coma or respiratory arrest may develop.

The pulp of these mushrooms also contains meconic acid, which is derived from opium. Therefore, in some cases, when royal mushrooms are eaten without prior boiling, psychedelic states can develop, accompanied by auditory and visual hallucinations.

Application in folk medicine

Medicinal agents (decoctions, infusions, tinctures) are prepared from foliot, which are used by traditional healers in the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system (atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis). Iron and magnesium foliot contribute to an increase in hemoglobin levels, so the introduction of these mushrooms into the diet will be useful for anemia and thyroid diseases.

Due to the large amount of fiber in the pulp, royal mushrooms prevent constipation. The presence of squarrosidine in the pulp of royal mushrooms makes them an indispensable food for people suffering from gout. Means from moth in folk medicine are used as an emetic and laxative.

Due to its low calorie content, royal mushrooms are included in the diet of diabetics, vegetarians and dieters. Fresh golden foliot extract has been scientifically proven to inhibit the growth of Ehrlich carcinoma and sarcoma-180 in laboratory mice.

Cooking application

In cooking, only ordinary, golden, gum-bearing foliots and nameko mushrooms have found use, because they have a pulp with a pleasant smell and a typical mushroom taste, similar to the taste of real mushrooms.

These mushrooms can be prepared in many ways:

• add to soups, main dishes, pastry fillings, sauces and salads;
• fry;
• marinate;
• salt.

Drying the scales is not accepted.

Cooking fresh foliots is not worth it: they can cause dyspepsia. Before cooking, royal mushrooms must be boiled so that these digestive problems do not arise. Decoction of mushrooms must be drained.

You can use the entire fruiting body of the mushroom, but experienced chefs recommend taking hats for hot dishes, and the whole body for pickles and pickling.

Conclusions

Scales are not very popular mushrooms among Russian mushroom pickers. Of the 30 types of foliot that grow in the deciduous forests of Russia, only three are edible and can be eaten along with other edible mushrooms. These are ordinary, golden and gum-bearing flakes.

These mushrooms contain all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for the human body. Due to their chemical composition, they have beneficial properties for the circulatory system, digestive organs, metabolism and hematopoiesis. Can be taken as a remedy for gout.

According to their nutritional value, foliots are mushrooms of the fourth category. Before cooking, they must be boiled, and only then added to the first and second courses, salads, sauces, pastries, fry, pickle, salt.

If used improperly, edible foliots can also exhibit harmful properties. The most dangerous condition can develop in people who drink alcohol at the same time as these mushrooms – this is coprine syndrome, severe intoxication. In severe cases, collapse, coma, and even death can occur.

Sources of