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Enigma no. 2: are those mushrooms edible?

by Pu on September 6, 2010

I’ve read and heard more than once about people finding specimens of boletus edulis (aka known as porcino or cep) growing happily and undisturbed in gardens or other green spaces here in Iceland. Apparently, according to the rumors, this kind of mushroom is very commonly seen, but nobody really cares about it. Since I’m used to think of porcini as very rare and costly, I couldn’t believe my ears hearing that they are so easy to find all around. I thought maybe it was the umpteenth urban legend circulating about Iceland. Like the polar bear the Mayor promised to bring to the local zoo.

In stores I’ve seen mostly champignons. Porcini are not popular at all, so up to this point the story might be accurate. I also know for example that up to a few years ago Icelanders weren’t used to eat lobster and prawns as well, as they were considered kind of disgusting. Then the customs changed over time, and now they are quite popular – and expensive – like in many other places. So why after all it couldn’t be the same with mushrooms?

It’s been all summer that walking around Reykjavík I am seeing huge mushrooms growing in flowerbeds and gardens, also in my neighborhood. I’ve been eyeing those mushrooms and in my ears the words “porcini are quite common and nobody cares about them” kept on ringing in my head, like the prophecy characters in movies keep on hearing all the time at the most critical moments. The Uncle Scrooge in me had multiple heart attacks seeing kids stepping on the mushrooms just for fun.

Today I’ve been brave enough to pick up one of those mushrooms. But I’m no mushroom expert, and to be honest I don’t even like porcini. They do taste horrible in my opinion. So the idea of tasting the mushroom myself is not that appealing to me. Just because after brief confrontation with a few photos the mushroom I picked up looks like a real boletus edulis doesn’t mean it is one. I don’t want to end like Calvino’s Marcovaldo, poisoned and in hospital for picking up a bunch of mushrooms from a urban flowerbed and eating them. The dog though seems so eager to eat the little fellow I brought home with me. But he’s eaten also a huge package of xylitol chewing gums, that are supposed to be very dangerous for a dog, without any consequences. He’s crazy, reckless and I don’t trust his canine opinion.

If there’s an expert out there, just out of curiosity: is this mushroom edible?

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Tagged as: boletus edulis, mushrooms, Reykjavík

Chad September 8, 2010 at 11:48 pm

Yes, that certainly looks like a Boletus edulis. I too have seen many of them in Iceland (more than in some other countries). As you say this could be because Icelanders are not accustomed to them. Today I saw a troop of them near Akureyri that would have caused a Frenchman or Italian to wig out — at least 1 kg worth within 10 square metres.

If you don’t like them though, why not try the Ink Caps that are abundant around Iceland right now — might like them better??

Harry September 10, 2010 at 1:00 am

Hey Chad, thanks for the comment. Amazed to know that this looks like a Boletus edulis as we thought. While Pu might not like them, they are my favorite mushroom, also on pizzas.

And there are so many of them! And thanks for the tip on the Ink Caps!

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