Gurumelo
Amanita ponderosa
mushroom
⚠️ Toxic look-alike
Never eat this mushroom unless you are certain it is not its toxic look-alike.
It grows in the same places and in the same season as the fool's mushroom, a white and deadly amanita that has caused many poisonings and deaths; beginners also mistake it for the white form of the death cap. The gurumelo is recognised above all by its large sac-like volva, its shape, smell and texture. Never pick it without an expert. Have every harvest checked by a pharmacist or a mycologist.
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 white spring amanita, highly prized in south-western Spain and in Portugal: grilled with salt and pennyroyal, scrambled with eggs, in a bean stew.
- Origin
- South-western Iberian Peninsula: Andalusia, Extremadura, Alentejo
- Season (United States)
- January to April
- Preparation
- It is brushed clean, sliced and grilled or pan-fried for about ten minutes; like any edible amanita, 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 Paymogo, Andalusia, a food fair is devoted to it every year.