The Penny Bun, Boletus edulis

Description

Boletus Edulis, also known as the Penny Bun, Porcini, Cepe or Cep, needs very little introduction, as it is, without a doubt, one of the tastiest mushrooms you'll ever find, and a king of the edible mushroom world. It is found mostly in deciduous woodland, often in association with Beech, Oak or Pine. Although this mushroom is quite common, there is often only a small window of opportunity to find them due to a short fruiting season. This makes them quite elusive, if you don't know when and where to look!

This large, bulbous mushroom is a member of the Bolete genus of mushrooms, which means it has pores on the underside of the cap instead of gills. These pores are white when young, turning more yellow as it matures. The cap is white when very young, turning a rich, dark chestnut brown, later. It often resembles a crusty roll, which is where it gets in English common name. On some specimens, a pale white ring or "halo" can develop along the cap edge. The flesh is firm and white, yellowing with age, with a lovely mushroom aroma. The thick and bulbous stem of the Cep is pale white, turning more yellow-tan with age. It is covered with a thin net-like pattern (called reticulation) that is usually confined to the top third, but can sometimes extend all the way down, the stem.

It could be confused with the Summer Cep (Boletus reticulatus) and the Pine Bolete (Boletus pinophilus), but both of these are equally delicious. One other lookalike is the Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus), whilst this mushroom isn't poisonous, it will ruin any dish you mistakenly add it to. It differs slightly in the web like reticulation on the stem, but the easisest way to test for this is to give the cap a little nibble - if it's super bitter, then it's not a Cep!

Arthur found this rather large specimen at the base of a huge pine, after I'd already walked right past it. Sometimes, having a toddler-shaped truffle pig comes in very handy!