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Among the many conditionally edible representatives of the mushroom kingdom, the satanic mushroom stands a little apart. Scientists have not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about its edibility, in some countries it is allowed to collect and eat it, in others it is considered poisonous. Next, a photo and description of the satanic mushroom will be given, it will be told about the places of its growth, and distinctive features will be given that allow not to confuse it with other species.
Why is the satanic mushroom so called
Boletus satanas is the Latin name for the satanic mushroom. The exact origin of this name is not known for certain. Most likely, it is connected with the color of the legs. Its color is bright red or crimson near the ground, closer to the hat the tone becomes lighter, the color turns into white, pink or yellow. Thus, a growing satanic mushroom remotely resembles a tongue of hellfire escaping from the ground. A satanic mushroom growing in the forest in the photo below.
The second hypothesis of the origin of the name is related to the fact that it visually looks a bit like a real boletus, the desired prey of many mushroom pickers, but at the same time it is inedible, poisonous, a kind of snag.
Where does the satanic mushroom grow
Satanic fungus grows in deciduous (rarely in mixed) forests with a predominance of oak, beech, hornbeam or linden, with which it often forms mycorrhiza. You can meet him in well-lit places from June to October. Prefers to grow in calcareous soils. In Our Country, it grows to a limited extent, it is found mainly in some southern regions, in the Caucasus, as well as in the southern part of Primorsky Krai. Boletus satanas is widely distributed in the countries of Southern and Central Europe.
An overview video about this representative of the Boletov family can be viewed at the link:
What does a satanic mushroom look like
According to the description, the satanic mushroom has quite a lot of similarities with the well-known porcini mushroom (lat. Boletus edulis), which, however, is not surprising, since both species are included in the same family. Its hat is 5-25 cm in diameter, dense, massive, semicircular or pillow-shaped, covered with white, cream or greenish-yellow velvety skin on top. The lower part of the cap is tubular, its color can vary from yellow to orange or deep red. The flesh turns red at the break, and then turns blue.
The leg is 15-17 cm long, the diameter in the thickened part can reach 10 cm. The shape is pear-shaped or barrel-shaped, the color is red, raspberry, beet or pink, there is a distinguishable mesh pattern on the surface. On the cut, the pulp of the stem of the satanic mushroom turns first red and then blue.
Satanic mushroom edible or poisonous
There is no consensus among mycologists about classifying Boletus satanas as edible or inedible. In Our Country, the satanic mushroom is clearly considered poisonous, since eating it raw is guaranteed to end in poisoning. Even after prolonged heat treatment of the fruiting body, toxins remain inside it that can cause a deterioration in health. Despite this, in some European countries, for example, in the Czech Republic and France, the satanic mushroom is considered conditionally edible and is actively harvested, eating it after prolonged soaking and heat treatment.
The question of edibility or inedibility of Boletus satanas has not been finally resolved. However, it is still better for mushroom pickers, especially inexperienced ones, to refrain from collecting it. There is no need to risk your health with such an abundance of other mushrooms in Our Country, especially since many of them are guaranteed to be tastier and safer.
What satanic mushroom tastes like
Experienced mushroom pickers have a saying: “You can eat all mushrooms, but some only once.” It is directly related to the described member of the mushroom community. Eating it raw is contraindicated as it can be fatal. In those countries where Boletus satanas is considered conditionally edible, it is soaked for a long time before consumption and then boiled for at least 10 hours.
After such processing, it becomes almost tasteless, although some find its taste slightly sweet. Given all the nuances and restrictions associated with the use of this product, its nutritional and culinary value is a big question.
How to distinguish a satanic mushroom
The Boletaceae family (lat. Boletaceae) is quite extensive and poorly studied. It includes, in addition to Boletus satanas, the following inedible mushrooms:
- Whitish boletus (lat. Boletus albidus).
- Rose-gold boletus (lat. Boletus rhodoxanthus).
- False satanic mushroom (lat. Boletus splendidus).
- Boletus legal, or de Gal (lat. Boletus legaliae).
In addition to these mushrooms, other types of mushrooms that are poorly studied or not classified are also classified as inedible.
There are a number of other representatives of this family, on the edibility of which there is no consensus. These include the following conditionally edible mushrooms:
- Olive-brown oak tree (lat. Boletus luridus).
- Dubovik speckled (lat. Boletus erythopus).
All representatives of the Boletov family have a certain similarity. In order not to make a mistake when harvesting a forest harvest and not to collect satanic mushrooms instead of edible ones, one must very clearly know their distinguishing features.
The difference between a satanic mushroom and an oak mushroom
In appearance, the dubovik (poddubnik) and the satanic mushroom are very similar. It is not easy to distinguish them even by indirect signs: both turn blue when pressed. They ripen in the same period of time, so it is quite easy to confuse these two species. Nevertheless, there are still differences between them.
Unlike the oak tree, the satanic mushroom does not turn blue immediately. Its flesh at the break first turns red, and then only the color changes to blue. Dubovik, at the site of mechanical damage, turns blue almost immediately. There are other signs by which these two fungi can be distinguished. The flesh of the oak tree is lemon-colored, while that of the satan mushroom is white or slightly creamy. The cap of a young oak tree has a pleasant olive color, turning into orange or burgundy with age, the color of the cap of Boletus satanas is white, cream or slightly greenish.
The difference between a satanic mushroom and white
It is very easy to distinguish a white mushroom from a satanic one. The easiest way is to cut it in half. White, unlike satanic, never turns blue on the cut. Differences also appear in color. The common boletus is never painted in such flashy tones, it does not have either the red color of the legs or the orange color of the tubular layer. A sectional view of a satanic mushroom – in the photo below:
The porcini fungus differs from the satanic one in a much wider distribution area, which reaches the Arctic Circle and even affects the Arctic zone. Naturally, Boletus satanas simply does not occur in such latitudes. Even in central Our Country, his find can be attributed rather to exceptions. This is also confirmed by the fact that in almost all countries it is called the same, in contrast to the real boletus, which has a huge number of local names.
Satanic fungus poisoning
As noted above, eating a satanic mushroom in its raw form is strictly contraindicated. This will 100% lead to poisoning. The pulp of the fruiting body contains muscarine, the same toxin found in fly agarics. Its content is slightly less, but even in such concentrations it can lead to severe poisoning. In addition to muscarine, the pulp of the fruiting body contains the toxic glycoprotein bolesatin, which enhances blood clotting.
Gerard Houdou, in his Encyclopedia of Mushrooms, classifies Boletus satanas as poisonous. Some other mycologists consider it slightly poisonous and allow it to be eaten because the toxins it contains are in the same group as the milky sap of some agaric fungi. Therefore, they believe that the maximum that can threaten someone who has eaten a piece of a satanic mushroom is an upset stomach. There is no consensus on this issue. Despite this, everyone agrees on one thing: Boletus satanas should not be consumed raw.
Soaking and prolonged heat treatment reduces the content of toxins in the fruiting body to a certain level acceptable to humans. However, a child or adult can be poisoned by a satanic mushroom after all the required treatments. Any mushrooms in themselves are quite heavy food, and not every stomach can withstand them. No wonder their use is contraindicated for children under 10 years of age. Symptoms of satanic mushroom food poisoning include the following:
- stomach upset;
- persistent diarrhea, sometimes with blood;
- vomiting;
- cramps of the limbs;
- severe headaches;
- fainting.
Severe poisoning can result in respiratory paralysis or cardiac arrest. When the first signs of poisoning are found, it is necessary to wash the stomach, reducing the amount of toxins in the body. To do this, you need to drink as much as possible of a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then induce vomiting. If potassium permanganate is not at hand, you can use mineral or plain water, to which a little salt has been added. To reduce the absorption of toxins in the stomach, in case of poisoning with a satanic mushroom, you need to take an absorbent (activated charcoal, Enterosgel, Polysorb or similar drugs).
Conclusion
Photos and descriptions of the satanic mushroom are far from complete information about this representative of the Boletov family. Due to its very limited use, it has been studied rather poorly, so it is possible that mycologists will unambiguously classify it in any category in the future. In the meantime, this has not happened, it is better to refrain from using it, so as not to harm yourself once again. Mushroom pickers have a golden rule: “I don’t know – I don’t take it,” and it should be followed not only in relation to the satanic mushroom.