Is it possible to eat russula raw and why are they called that?

Autumn rains and dampness are an excellent habitat for mushrooms. Many varieties are considered useful, some of them are eaten raw or lightly boiled. Russula got its name due to the presence of russulin, an active biological substance. That is why they can be used in any cooking option.

Why are russulas so called

The origin of the word “russula” originates from the time of the Old Slavonic dialect. When transcribed, it sounds like raw food – a mushroom that can be eaten raw. However, russula was used even before the discovery of russulin.

From time immemorial, when harvesting, mushroom pickers have been guided by smell, vision, and taste buds. For example, podgruzdok is eaten raw or in any other form. The possibility of using mycelium is determined by taste: if the cap is bitter, odorless, bright, sticky, then it cannot be eaten.

Russula is the opposite on all counts, the fruiting body has:

• sweetish aftertaste;
• characteristic aroma mixed with sweetness;
• rough to the touch surface of the cap;
• fragile structure of the cap and legs of the mycelium.

The Latin name for russula is rússulus, which means red or reddish when translated, because most mushrooms from this family have a red cap. Most of the Russula family are edible, other species are slightly bitter, but the taste goes away after heat treatment or pickling.

Is it possible to eat russula mushrooms raw

Freshly harvested from various types of russula is not recommended to taste or eat. In the forest, this is also not worth doing. They are eaten raw at the place of collection only if the mushroom picker is sure that he belongs to the edible variety. The russulin contained in the mycelium was discovered quite recently, but it is scarce in other varieties of mycelium, therefore, due to the taste of bitterness, the mushrooms are boiled and then used for various dishes. The enzyme makes them sweet, edible, and flavorful. There is no russulin in the poisonous mycelium at all, so any eaten mycelium will cause irritation of the mucous membranes, vomiting, and diarrhea.

What russula can be eaten raw

Scientists have identified only 32 edible species. Some of them are present in almost any forest in Our Country. In many cases, mushroom pickers meet the most common varieties of usable russula:

1. Blue-yellow. The mushroom picker has an unusual color – dark blue edges and a yellowish middle of the cap, so such a strange name for the russula is of interest. It is found in the forests of Europe, Asia, Our Country, and is valued for its unusual aftertaste in gourmet culinary dishes.

   

2. Green – the usual mycelium of a pale gray color. The hat in the center has a greenish color. The mushroom is edible, not bitter. Grows and breeds in mixed or deciduous forests, mostly adjacent to birch.

   

3. Golden yellow or red russula. The unusual appearance is characterized by a memorable color, the smell of roses. Sweet taste, not bitter. It occurs in deciduous and rarely in coniferous forests. It is considered a delicacy for European cuisine.

   

4. Variety of forked mushroom. Russula is eaten raw, it tastes similar to champignons. Lamellar mycelium is flexible and tapering to the base of the leg. Grows in forests of any type, found on the edges, berry glades.

   

5. Olive – the cap of the mycelium is dry and rough. Olive color often alarms mushroom pickers. For some time now, the fruiting body has been used as a dry fiber for nutritional supplements. Mycelium is pleasant in taste and smell, it is found everywhere.

   

6. Swamp. Despite the name, it is very nutritious for the body, edible in any form. It has no taste, but has a pleasant fruity smell. This is an agaric mushroom with an even hat of red color and white dense pulp. It can be found in swamps, next to a stream or coniferous forest.

   

What do raw russula taste like?

Mushrooms are only called russula, but most species must first be determined for taste and edibility, then treated with boiling water. The taste qualities of russula are valued for the uniqueness of the aroma, nutrients. All these qualities are most pronounced in pickled mushrooms. The pulp and taste depend on the area where the mycelium grows, as well as on the presence of absorbed substances from the soil. Forest species are the most delicious – mushroom pickers think so, but mycelium grown on their own plot or under artificial conditions is more useful. After heat treatment, the taste qualities do not disappear, sometimes the smell and aftertaste become more pronounced. The most common mycelium does not taste bitter, gives off a sweet or mushroom flavor, often smells like ozone or grass.

Conclusion

Russula got its name because their mycelium is harmless to humans if the fungus belongs to the Russula family. The fruit body of edible varieties has a fragile structure. The mushroom is low in calories, so it can be used in diets and diseases with the gastrointestinal tract. Russula grows and reproduces quickly, so spores can be purchased during the harvest season to try growing real mycelium. This eliminates the need to search for mushrooms in ravines or forests.