Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Cauliflower Fungus along with all the Cauliflower Fungus containing recipes presented on this site, with 1 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Cauliflower Fungus as a major wild food ingredient.

Cauliflower Fungus, Sparassis crispa (also known as Brain Fungus and White Fungus) is a very distinctive species of parasitic fungus that is a member of the Sparassidaceae (Cauliflower Fungus) family. It is a very distinctive species native to Europe and eastern America, though it is increasingly being cultivated in Korea, Japan and Australia. The Cauliflower Fungus is associated with coniferous woodland and typically it parasitizes the roots of pine, spruce and fir, this restricted habitat and it's distinctive appearance make this a very safe fungus to collect (just do not collect anything that might look like it from broad-leaved woodland. Typically it fruits September and October. The mushroom is typically very large and has the appearance of a cauliflower heart or a natural sponge with no distinctive cap, stem or gills. Rather, it grows as a mass of convoluted, flattened, branches that are initially cream in colour with pale yellow tips, but which become brown with age. Typically they are found on the ground near living pie trees, though they can also grow on or near pine stumps. They are convoluted in form, with many-branched, flattened, leaf like lobes. The fungus can grow up to 40cm in length, 30cm in depth and 30cm tall. When young, the branches are easily broken and the fungus' single, fleshy, stem is often buried and distinctly root-like. The flesh is thin, white, and brittle but becomes tougher and more bitter with age. When cut, the smell is pleasant and the taste is faintly-reminiscent of hazelnuts.

The cauliflower fungus is an excellent eating species, but its shape does mean that it can accumulate leaf litter, insects, etc. It is best to carefully cut away any regions that are very dirty when you pick, then shake free any loose material. When you get home, cut into chunks, shake free any loose material then wash thoroughly to remove any pine needles, insects or other debris that have accumulated. Do not pick any specimens that have become brown, however, these will be tough, bitter and may cause gastric upsets. It is very good when baked or fried, and also makes a good flavour addition to soups and stews. Cauliflower fungus is also one of the best mushrooms for drying, as it re-constitutes well (which means that you will not waste any, even if you take a large one home) — for how to dry, see the dried mushrooms recipe.



The colour, shape, season of fruiting and growth in association with conifers only means that there are no poisonous species with which it can be confused. In North America, there is a very similar species S radicata (found in western North America), it is very similar in appearance and equally as edible, they are so similar that some authorities treat them as conspecific. In Britain, there are two species that young Cauliflower Fungus could be conserved with. These are Clavulina cristata and C cinerea both are coral fungi. They are small, look like branching coral, are soft brittle and pleasant-smelling. Clavulina cristata is white and Clavulina cinerea is grey-brown. Both species are found in coniferous and deciduous woodland. They are edible, but insubstantial and not worth collecting.

For other edible mushrooms, see the guide to edible mushrooms

References:

[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants