Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Honey Fungus along with all the Honey 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 Honey Fungus as a major wild food ingredient.

Honey Fungus, Armillaria mellea (also known as Bootlace Fungus, Honey Mushroom, Pidpenky, Pipinky or Pinky, Stump Mushroom, Stumpie and White Rot Fungus) represents a genus of of parasitic fungi that live on trees and woody shrubs that includes about 10 species formerly lumped together as Armillaria mellea. Armillaria mellea, the type species for the genus, is also the choicest species, but in the UK it is so often confused with A bulbosa and A ostoyae (previously they were classed as the same species) and it is this that accounts for the varying reports on the edibility of honey fungus. It is widespread in Europe and North America and is associated most closely with hardwoods, but may be found around and on other living and dead wood or in open areas. Typically it fruits between September and December (but is most common in October) and can sometimes also fruit in May. Armillaria are some of the world's longest-lived species and the fruiting bodies will recur year after year. The mushroom is medium-sized (growing maximally to about 12cm tall) and the cap is initially deeply convex in form, flattening with age and even becoming depressed with age. They can grow to 15cm in diameter with an inrolled margin. The colour is highly variable, ranging from honey yellow to dark brown and often with olive and yellow tones. Dark brown hair-like scales, where present, are mostly found near the centre of young caps. The gills are obscured by a yellowish-white veil in young specimens and when they emerge they are adnate to weakly decurrent, crowded, dirty-white to flesh coloured, ageing a deeper yellow with dark spots. The spore print is cream, and can often be seen as a tuft on lower caps or decorating the surrounding vegetation, and this is a strong distinguishing feature. The stipes (stems) are frequently densely clustered with a large, white to yellow, cottony ring bearing yellow scales on the underside. The stems can grow up to 10cm tall. The flesh of of honey fungus is thin, soft, and white. The scent can range from almost odourless to strongly mushroomy. It is very bitter when raw, with a soapy overtone (indeed, it is recommended that this mushroom is always blanched in boiling water for 1 minute before consuming). The mushrooms (the fruiting body of the fungus) spring from rhizomorphs (black bootlace structures, see below) that often spread across the trees on which they prey.



Amarillaria mellea is parasitic and is often known as 'white rot fungus' and is a pathogenic organism that affects trees, shrubs, woody climbers and, rarely, woody herbaceous perennials. Honey fungus grows on living trees as well as on dead and decaying woody material. Its high destructiveness comes from the fact that, unlike most parasites, it doesn't need to moderate its growth in order to avoid killing its host, since it will continue to thrive on the dead material.

The Honey Fungus is considered to be a choice edible fungus, particularly in the Ukraine, where it is highly praised. Indeed, they are commonly ranked above morels and chanterelles and only the cep/porcini is prized more highly. However pidpenky (Ukrainian: підпеньки) must be thoroughly cooked as they are mildly poisonous raw (or at least they can be). In addition, one of the UK species with which they are readily confused with (namely: Pholiota squarrosa, Shaggy Pholiota) can lead to sickness when ingested with alcohol. These can be distinguished by their straw-yellow caps, and the upturned russet scales that cover the lower stems. The gills are pale yellow, becoming rusty brown with age and the spore print is also rusty brown. The flesh is bitter and smells of radish. Therefore, for the non expert mycologist, it is advisable not to drink alcohol for 12 hours before and 24 after eating this mushroom to avoid any possible nausea and vomiting. However if these sensible rules are followed this variety of mushroom is a delicacy with a strong distinctive mushroomy and nutty flavour. This is not therefore a 'beginner' mushroom and part of the problem of identification lies in the variability of the species and the many closely-related species. I would recommend very careful scrutiny, always take a spore print and only eat a very few after prolonged cooking the first time. If there is no adverse reaction and the taste is good, then go back to the same spot to pick more. The honey fungus is one of the fungal species that must be cooked before consuming as eating raw will cause stomach upsets. Indeed, it's recommended to parboil for 5 minutes before cooking further. It should be noted that honey fungus can cause gastric upsets in 1:25 people even after cooking. So if it's your first time trying this particular mushroom exercise caution and only consume a small amount until your are certain that it's safe for you, specifically, to consume.



The beginner should be aware that, as well as other Armillaria species (particularly A bulbosa and A ostoyae) there are two poisonous species that need to be avoided. The main fungus with which it is confused is Gymnopilus junonius which is of similar size to Amarillaria mellea but which is orange or tawny brown, with fibrous scales on the cap, and adnate yellow gills that become tawny brown (the colour of the spore print). This is a species to be avoided at all costs.

The forager should also be wary of Hypholoma fasciculare (Sulphur Tuft) that, although smaller than Amarillaria mellea, is very similar in colour, but can be distinguished by its smooth cap and purple-brown spores. The beginner should also be wary of certain Galerina species, particularly Galerina marginata which is deadly poisonous and also grows on dead wood and the stumps of conifers. These tend to be much smaller than Amarillaria mellea have two-tone caps (with a pale centre) non-scaly stems, a mealy smell and, most importantly, a brown spore print.

A bulbosa can be distinguished from Amarillaria mellea by it's stouter and stockier stem that has a swollen base (the base of Amarillaria mellea tapers) an the white, cottony ring. A ostoyae is very similar to A bulbosa, but the ring has dark brown scales around its edge.

Those who collect the honey mushroom for food prefer solid, young, unopened buttons. When cooked, it is firm and granular with a meaty texture. To some it is moderately sweet in flavour, but its edibility is marred for others by a mild bitter aftertaste and a somewhat gelatinous surface. Occasional incidents of gastric upsets have been reported with this mushroom so caution should be used when it is first eaten. They dry well and can also be pickled, but do not freeze. As always, however, take a good field guide with you when collecting wild mushrooms and if in doubt, do not try! If you do collect Amarillaria mellea then blanch for 1 minute in boiling water and then cook very thoroughly. It is best to test these in a stew and cook the mushrooms for at least 15 minutes.

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