False morel
Discina spp., Gyromitra spp. …
mushroom
⚠️ Toxic look-alike
Never eat this mushroom unless you are certain it is not its toxic look-alike.
It is the false morel, and it is the poison: raw or badly prepared, gyromitrin can kill. Two boilings in plenty of water, window open, the water discarded each time; many countries ban its sale.
If in the slightest doubt, leave it. If you feel unwell after eating it, even several hours later, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or 911.
A spring mushroom with a brown cap wrinkled like a brain, sold in Finland with instructions: boiled twice in plenty of water, then rinsed.
- Origin
- Conifer forests of northern Europe
- Season (United States)
- April to May
- Preparation
- Only once this treatment is finished, the water thrown away and the kitchen aired, is it pan-fried or put in a sauce; it is never tasted before. If you pick it yourself, have the mushroom checked by a pharmacist or a mycological society before eating it.
- Molecules
- Mushroom beta-glucansIn small amounts, not counted Ergothioneine
- Did you know?
- Raw, it contains gyromitrin, which turns into hydrazine, one of the components of rocket fuel.