# Coolest Mushroom find ever!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016 "2012-10-07T19:47:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/1 "2012-10-07T19:47:51Z")
No, not morels. Too late in the season and we found none this spring.☹ We have found several species of Oysters, Dryad’s Saddle, and close to 20 pounds of Chicken Mushroom (Sulfur Shelf). But today, just a short walk from the house, we found a huge patch of [Shaggy Parasol (_Lepiota rachodes_)](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_parasol). It is a _very_ tasty mushroom, and there is a ton of it here. Then there is the “rush” of eating something nearly identical in appearance to a poisonous shroom. I did a spore print on ours, and had a second opinion from a mycologist who checked my spore print. [QUOTE= Wiki] Furthermore, young shaggy parasols look identical to the poisonous Chlorophyllum molybdites (the mushroom that causes the most poisonings in North America yearly).[2] Checking the spore print is essential as C. molybdites’ print is green (older specimens have slightly green gills). As a result, this mushroom is not recommended for inexperienced hunters. [/QUOTE] Guess what’s for dinner??🆒 ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/2 "2012-10-07T20:26:53Z")
How do you find a mycologist for that kind of service? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/3 "2012-10-07T20:30:31Z")
That is indeed very cool. What’s it taste like? (I know, I know, “earthy” and “mushroomy”, right?) ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/4 "2012-10-07T20:32:53Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > How do you find a mycologist for that kind of service? Member of the local mushroom club and a really cool guy. In academics, but likes to go slumming.😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/5 "2012-10-07T20:35:19Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > That is indeed very cool. What’s it taste like? (I know, I know, “earthy” and “mushroomy”, right?) Actually, meaty and nutty. We are having it with a venison roast. Good times!!! And I have since gotten a third opinion supporting genus and species. (I sent out a bunch of emails earlier and am still hearing back, but the PhD was first in.) ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/6 "2012-10-07T20:37:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Actually, meaty and nutty. We are having it with a venison roast. Good times!!! > > And I have since gotten a third opinion supporting genus and species. (I sent out a bunch of emails earlier and am still hearing back, but the PhD was first in.) Mmmm, sounds good. Email me a bowl, okay? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/7 "2012-10-07T20:42:52Z")
Just had a small sampling. Sauteed in butter and olive oil, some sea salt, a sprig of thyme. Then added a bit of sherry and let it reduce. HEAVEN!! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/8 "2012-10-07T21:09:47Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Mmmm, sounds good. Email me a bowl, okay? 😃 Don’t be an idiot: everybody knows you have to fax them. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/9 "2012-10-07T22:10:35Z")
Actually, seriously, people in the shroom community do make spore prints on aluminum foil, wrap in foil, then a baggie and send it to friends so that they can then suspend the spores in sterile water (working within a hood or glove-box), grow mycellium, and propagate the fruit (mushroom). Culinary and other types of mushrooms are traded in this way. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/10 "2012-10-08T17:40:16Z")
How do you make a spore print? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2012, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coolest-mushroom-find-ever/637016/11 "2012-10-09T02:27:20Z")
Take the cap (remove the stem, if any) and place the cap on a piece of paper, or aluminum foil. Foil is for spore collection, paper great for color determination. Then cover with an appropriate sized drinking glass to block air currents and raise humidity a bit. I use a few different colors of construction paper, overlapping, so as to get spore dropping onto multiple colors. Best is to use clear, stiff plastic so that it can be looked at with different colored backgrounds. [more here.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore_print)