Giant macrocybe

Macrocybe gigantea

mushroom

Large white mushroom that turns grey, with a cap up to 30 cm, sold at roadside markets in West Bengal and cooked in mustard oil with spices.

Origin

India, Pakistan and Nepal; grown and sold in Laos

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

It is cleaned with a damp cloth, without soaking, the earthy stem base cut off, then pan-fried for about ten minutes; like all wild mushrooms, it is eaten cooked, never raw. 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?

In Bengal it is called boro dhoodh chhatu: “it smells of milk once dried”.