March mushroom

Hygrophorus marzuolus

mushroom

A fleshy, firm gray-black mushroom, pan-fried or in risotto, highly prized in Italy.

Origin

Mountain forests of Europe

Where to find it

In Italy, in the Apennines and the Alps of Piedmont and Trentino, it is sold at market as “dormiente”, the sleeping mushroom; in France, it grows in the fir forests of the Vosges, the Jura and the Alps.

Season (United States)

February to May

Preparation

It is brushed rather than washed, as soil and needles lodge under the cap, then pan-fried for about ten minutes; it is always eaten cooked. 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?

It grows under melting snow at the end of winter: it is sought at the edges of snow patches.