Boletaceae or Boletes are mushrooms characterized by holding their spores in small pores on the underside of the mushroom, instead of gills (as are found in agarics). Nearly as widely distributed as agarics, they include the Cep or King Bolete (Boletus edulis), much sought after by mushroom hunters.

Boletes are a relatively safe group of mushrooms for human consumption (none are known to be deadly to adults), and they are the most sought mushrooms for mushroom hunting. They are especially suitable for novice mushroom hunters, since there is little danger on confusing them on really dangerous mushrooms, like various Amanita agarics, which are the most poisonous mushrooms in the world. They are easily distinguished from agarics, and easily recognized for colour, pores and thick stems and caps.

Many of the boletes are considered to be true culinary delicacies, especially King Bolete (cep, porcini) (Boletus edulis); the Scandinavian cuisine praises boletes. In the Finnish cuisine, the King Bolete is universally considered to be the tastiest culinary mushroom, comparable only to false morel. The only boletes to be avoided are Devil's bolete, (Boletus satanis) which is moderately poisonous, bitter bolete, Tylopilus felleus, whose taste is extremely foul and bitter, resembling gall bladder juice, and can spoil the whole meal, and some orange-capped species Leccinium, whose taste is commonly considered foul. As the bitter bolete resembles somewhat the king bolete, it can produce literally a bitter disappointment to the mushroom hunter! The rule of thumb is that bitter bolete has pink pores and brownish stem, while cep has whitish grey pores and stem. They also grow on different places and terrain. Peppery bolete (Chalciporus piperatus) has extremely stong taste, and has been used as ersatz for pepper.

The Finnish cuisine uses boletes for various soups, sauces, casseroles and hotpots. They are sometimes also used as pizza filling, not unlike champignons, shiitake or portobellos.

Two of the best common edible boletus however are the bay bolete, whose pores bruise blue-green, and the orange birch bolete, which is a Leccinum (not Leccinium) with an orange cap and which bruises a bluish grey.

Note that to be safe, a positive identification should always still be made before consumption. Additionally, just because something is edible doesn't mean that it should be eaten, or will taste good at all. While most boletes are delicious, some have quite foul taste. There are some caveats:

1. Eat Only Fresh, Young Specimens

There are two reasons for this. First, you will eliminate the possibility of simple food poisoning resulting from the consumption of rotting food, as mushrooms get tainted when they get old. Second, this will force you to consider only specimens whose macrofeatures are still easily recognizable. Pore surfaces of some boletes can eventually become brownish or blackish, regardless of the colors they manifested their prime--and bruising or staining reactions are no longer trustworthy with old mushrooms. They younger mushrooms also taste better than old.

2. Avoid Boletes with Red or Orange Pore Surfaces

The currently documented most-poisonous boletes, like Boletus satanas, have red or orange pore surfaces. Do not eat any bolete whose pore surface is red or orange, or some version of these colors. Likewise, Tylopilus felleus (the bitter bolete) has pinkish or orange pores. While it is not poisonous, it is a taste you won't forget.

3. Avoid Boletes That Stain or Bruise Blue to Green

Admittedly, this rule eliminates nearly half of all boletes. But it also eliminates all the boletes, besides the red- and orange-pored species, known to be poisonous, or for which edibility is suspect, particularly those in the Fraterni constellation. Also check for blue bruising by teasing the cap, stem, and (especially) the pore surface with the flat side of a knife.

4. Avoid Orange-Capped Leccinum Species

Leccinum includes some very good edibles, but the record is becoming more and more clear: some people are adversely affected by some of the orange-capped species - they can cause allergic reactions. Marilyn Shaw has documented this in Colorado (see Bessette, 2000, 374), and some field guides will mention the possibility. There are many Leccinum mushrooms with orange caps. But since Leccinum species are notoriously difficult to separate, even for experts, you should avoid any orange-capped species. If you are not sure you can distinguish Leccinum species from other boletes, you should change this rule and not eat any boletes with orange or orangeish caps.

Basidiomycetes | Edible mushrooms | Finnish cuisine

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