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Pepper mushroom is an eternal subject of controversy among mushroom pickers and physicians. Some believe that this mushroom is poisonous and it is strictly forbidden to eat it. [1]. Opponents claim that it is completely safe and may well serve as an addition or even the basis of a delicious lunch. [2]. Let’s try to consider all versions.
Description of the mushroom
Pepper mushroom is a representative of the Agaricomycetes class and belongs to the Boletov family. Its distribution zone is Europe and the Far East, it is extremely rare on other continents. Most often it grows in dry coniferous forests, especially under pines.
Can you eat pepper mushroom?
The pepper mushroom is conditionally edible, and most biologists allow its use for culinary purposes. However, many domestic and Western experts claim that the pulp of the fungus contains a rare toxic substance, all the properties of which are still not fully understood.
It has been experimentally established that the toxin is not completely destroyed during prolonged heat treatment, but only changes. The human body is able to accumulate a modified form of the toxin.
The danger of using this product is that the symptoms of poisoning the body with its toxins do not appear immediately, but after a few weeks or months. The poison directly affects the liver cells, causing pathological changes in them that provoke the development of cancer and cirrhosis. [3]. Initially, this manifests itself in the form of a taste of bile in the mouth and discomfort in the right hypochondrium, later the active progression of the disease begins.
Since there is a long period of time between the very fact of eating a pepper mushroom and the symptoms of the disease, it is not possible to establish their connection for certain. Today this version is more theoretical than practical. Everyone decides for himself whether this mushroom is edible or not.
What it looks like:
- the diameter of the cap is small, within 2-8 cm. Young mushrooms have a convex-rounded cap shape, as it ages, it levels off. The top layer does not have mucus, it is soft to the touch, and can give glare when exposed to sunlight. The color of the cap is light brown, with different shades of red;
- leg up to 8 cm high, quite thin (up to 1,5 cm in diameter). The thickness of the stem may be uneven and narrow towards the base. Its color corresponds to the color of the mushroom cap or a tone lighter. The leg does not have “frills” and “skirts”, smooth over the entire surface;
- the color of the pulp is yellow, with a reddish tinge. Redness worsens when cut [4];
- the structure of the cap is fragile, loose, the cap breaks without effort;
- the taste is sharp, burning;
- tubular layer with large pores of different sizes. The porous layer adheres tightly to the leg or grows slightly on it. The color is brown or brown with a red tinge. If you squeeze the tubular layer with your fingers, a pronounced brown tint will appear. [5][6].
The harvest season extends from mid-summer to mid-autumn. This mushroom does not grow in “families”, a maximum of 2-3 pieces per mycelium.
How to distinguish?
Even experienced mushroom pickers do not always know how to distinguish pepper mushroom from goat mushroom, and it can be easily confused with mustard. Knowing the features of each type, you can avoid mistakes [7][8].
| pepper mushroom | Kozlyak | Gorchak | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cap color | Light brown, shades of red possible | Light brown, shades of red possible | Light brown, shades of red possible |
| Leg color | Match the color of the hat or slightly lighter | Yellow | Yellow orange |
| Tubular layer color | Brown, sometimes with hints of red | Milky or dirty pink | Grey-yellow or brown with a green tint, no rufous |
| Taste | Similar to hot pepper | Burning | Soft, spicy |
| Pulp color | Yellow, when broken, a pronounced red tint appears | White, when broken, a pink tint appears | Pink, less often cream, slightly reddens when broken |
Pepper mushroom in folk medicine
Despite the heated discussions around this representative of the mushroom kingdom, it should be mentioned that our ancestors also used its properties to combat certain ailments.
It is believed that the cap and stem of the mushroom contain a large dose of a natural antibiotic that can destroy any viruses, including tuberculosis. It was with his help that doctors fought this pulmonary disease.
Today, most mushroom pickers use it as a condiment. Our ancestors also prepared a powder from it and used it for obesity and digestive problems.
How to cook seasoning
The value of pepper mushroom seasoning lies in the fact that it gives the dish both a spicy “point” (hence the name of the mushroom) and a wonderful mushroom flavor. Preparation of the powder will not take much time and effort.
To begin with, you need to wash the mushrooms well and remove excess water, chop the caps and legs (you can just break them with your hands). Boil them for 1,5-2 hours, if desired, you can change the water 2-3 times. Drain the water from the cooked mushrooms and place them in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Dry for 3-4 hours, turning occasionally. A completely dried mushroom should easily crumble into small pieces. Then grind them using a coffee grinder or blender and dry them again in the oven. Pour the finished spice into a dry glass container with an airtight lid. [9].
Seasoning can be used in the preparation of soups, side dishes, meat, fish and salads. Additional heat treatment is not required.
It is recommended to store the powder away from sunlight and heat.
Roast with pepper mushroom
Fans of exotic dishes use pepper mushroom not only as a seasoning, but also as the basis of the dish. Mushroom platter enjoys great success. To prepare it, “peppers” are boiled and fried together with other types of mushrooms and onions, seasoned with sour cream. The finished dish has a pronounced spicy taste and bright aroma.
Culinary experiments are always good. However, do not let the craving for the new and unusual drown out the voice of reason, because this can turn into very unpleasant health consequences. [10].
- Sources of
- ↑ Online encyclopedia of the world of animals and plants “Ecoplanet”. – Poisonous mushrooms.
- ↑ Popular science magazine “How and Why”. – Edible mushrooms – list, photo, name, description, video, when and where they grow.
- ↑ Information agency “UNIAN”. – Poisonous mushrooms of Ukraine: main types and distinctive features.
- ↑ Scientific electronic library “CyberLeninka”. – Ruby mushroom.
- ↑ Internet magazine “Decorative Garden”. – Pepper mushroom.
- ↑ Journal of an agronomist No. 1. – Pepper mushroom: poisonous or not.
- ↑ Site “Mushroom Picker’s World”. – Description of the pepper mushroom (pepper oiler), how to distinguish.
- ↑ AgroFlora.ru website. – Pepper mushroom – you can eat or not: distinctive features, benefits and harms to the body.
- ↑ Site “Mushroom-info”. – Briefly about the main thing: pepper mushroom – a poisonous species or a delicacy?.
- ↑ Website of the Ministry of Health of the Kirov Region. – Mushroom poisoning. Prevention. First aid.