Shōro

Rhizopogon roseolus

mushroom

⚠️ Toxic look-alike

Never eat this mushroom unless you are certain it is not its toxic look-alike.

Earthballs, with thick, warty skin, and young amanita eggs, half-buried, can look like it. Young shōro is a smooth white ball that turns pink when handled, and its flesh, cut in half, is white and finely spongy, with no pattern at all. The earthball has a thick yellowish skin and purplish-black flesh; it causes vomiting, pain and violent malaise. An amanita egg, cut from top to bottom, shows the outline of a mushroom, cap and stem, drawn in its flesh: it may be the deadly death cap, whose first signs appear only 6 to 24 hours after the meal. Cut every ball in half before keeping it.

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.

Small white balls half-buried in the sand, smelling of pine, in clear soup or chawanmushi.

Origin: Pine groves on the sandy coasts of Japan
Where to find it: It is sold at high prices in spring by Japanese mushroom dealers; it is found by scratching the sand under the pines.
Season (United States): March to May
Preparation: It is washed gently to remove the sand, without peeling, and added to the soup at the end of cooking; it is 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 is becoming rare along with Japan's coastal pine groves; attempts are now being made to cultivate it.