THE 50 BEST EDIBLE MUSHROOMS
IN THE WORLD : Gary Lincoff slide show program, January 17, 2007.
Edible quality of
mushrooms on list below depends on
freshness of mushroom and
cleaning and cooking process.
Eastern
(Asian) and western (European & U.S.) diets
determine (in part) which
mushrooms are preferred and
how they are cooked.
Note: There are other
choice mushrooms in addition to
those below. These are only
a selection of the best. All but
a few can be found in
North American mushroom field
guides or in specialty
markets or served in restaurants. In
the more traditional
Japanese restaurants you will find that
not only are the
mushrooms different from those found in
European and American restaurants, but they are
seasonal.
This means that even though you can find a
particular
mushroom out of season in the woods near the
restaurant, if
the mushroom is
understood by the Japanese to be a fall
mushroom, it will not be
served any other season, unlike
some European restaurants
where you can bring in early
fruitings of Boletus edulis or late fruitings of
Chanterelles
and both can be accepted
and prepared.
Highly praised edible
mushrooms NOT included here:
1. No Amanita is included below despite the fact
that
several are
considered to be choice edibles, e.g., Amanita
velosa (
Europe, and
A. vaginata complex (the various "grisettes"
in
2.
Clitocybe nebularis is many a
European's favorite
mushroom
but others do report GI upsets, and although it's
recorded in N.A., there are no edibility reports.
3.
Albatrellus ovinus is a choice
mushroom in
mostly ignored in the
4.
Floccularia (Armillaria) straminea var.
reported
as the favorite eating mushroom of several people
in
5.
Tricholoma flavovirens is recorded
below but other
species are not, like the gray (T. portentosum),
and dark
gray
(T. terreum) complexes. Species of Tricholoma are not
without their drawbacks: accurate identification; general
edibility without either acute or delayed toxic symptoms.
Introduction includes:
Pleurotus ostreatus
(oyster mushroom)
Pholiota nameko (nameko mushroom)
Best Edible
Mushrooms by field recognized groups (as
seen in most
field guides)
12 groups of NON-gilled mushrooms:
Best Cup Fungus:
Morchella esculenta (morel)
Best Truffles:
Tuber magnatum (Italian white truffle)
Tuber melanosporum
(French black truffle)
Best Flask (aso/pyrenomycete) Fungus:
Hypomyces lactifluorum
(lobster mushroom)
Best Smut
Fungus:
Ustilago maydis (corn smut)
Best Jelly Fungi:
Auricularia auricula (wood ear
mushroom)
Tremella fuciformis (white jelly
mushroom)
Best Coral Fungi:
Clavariadelphus truncatus (flat-topped
coral)
Ramaria araiospora (light-red
coral)
Sparassis spathulata (eastern
cauliflower fungus)
Sparassis crispa (western, rooting
cauliflower fungus)
Best Chanterelle and Black Trumpet:
Cantharellus cibarius complex
(chanterelle)
Gomphus clavatus (pig's ears)
Craterellus cornucopioides (black
trumpet)
Best Tooth Fungi:
Hydnum repandum complex (sweet
tooth)
Hericium erinaceus (bearded tooth)
Sarcodon imbricatum
(scaly tooth, hawk's wings) [!?]
Best Crust Fungus:
Thelephora ganbajun
Best Polypores:
Grifola frodosa (hen of the
woods)
Laetiporus sulphureus (chicken
mushroom)
Polyporus umbellatus (umbrella
polypore)
Best Bolete:
Boletus edulis (king bolete, cepe, porcini)
Best Puffball:
Calvatia gigantean (giant puffball)
Best Stinkhorn:
Phallus rubrovolva
(Chinese bamboo fungus)
Best Edible
GILLED mushrooms:
(excluding Amanitas)
Agaricus arvensis
(horse mushroom)
Agaricus augustus
(prince)
Agaricus bisporus
"Portobello"
Armillaria mellea
(honey mushroom)
Coprinus comatus (shaggy mane)
Entoloma abortivum
(aborted entoloma) Flammulina velutipes
(enoki mushroom)
Hypholoma (Naematoloma) sublateritium (bricktops) Hypsizygus "ulmarius"
(elm oyster)
Lactarius rubrifluus (red milk milkie)
Lactarius volemus complex (fishy milky) Lactarius rubidus (candy cap milky)
Lepista
(Clitocybe, Tricholoma) nuda (blewit) Lyophyllum
gambosum (
Rozites caperata (gypsy mushroom)
Russula virescens
(green quilt cap russula) Russula
xerampelina (seafood scented russula)
Termitomyces spp.
(termite mushrooms) Tricholoma flavovirens (man on
horseback) Tricholoma matsutake (Japanese matsutake)
Tricholoma magnivelare
(white matsutake)
Tricholoma caligatum
(brown matsutake) Volvariella volvacea (paddy straw mushroom)