Boletus edulis

Edible and One of the Best

Boletus edulis

(King Bolete)

This is an excellent mushroom for eating, particularly dried. Fresh I find little difference between the flavor of B. edulis and B. barrowsii though I think dried B. edulis has a more woodsy odor. In areas of New Mexico were I regularly hunt B. edulis appears to be associated with douglas fir with a heavy correlation to fruiting of Amanita muscaria (B. barrowsii generally grows under ponderosa pines). Neither of these species seem particularly common in western New Mexico but where I have found one I have often found the other, usually very close together as if they are both associated with the same tree and cannot survive without each other. I have not found B. barrowsii and B. edulis growing in the same areas in western New Mexico. By contrast in higher areas of the White Mountains in Arizona the forest seems more mixed and ponderosas, aspens, douglas fir, and scrub oak can be growing right next toeach other. There it is not unusual to find B. barrowsii and B. edulis very close together. Mushroom worms like B. edulis as much as they like B. barrowsii.

Recipes on the Web - Links to recipes for this species on the web (in many languages)

The following information and links are compiled by B.W. Freyburger of Gallup, New Mexico, who regularly collects mushrooms during the late summer and fall in the mountains near there. Please notify him of persistently dead links, additional links regarding this species, or errors in information or links herein through email by clicking on his name above. This site contains links to other sites which are not authored by or controlled by the webmaster of this site. Unfortunately these sites sometimes diasppear or or are reorganized or moved leaving the link nonfunctional. I try to check for dead links and update or remove them as often as possible. Information, recipes, photographs, illustrations, and other material on these sites is likely subject to copyright protection. Please respect the legal rights of persons creating this material. This site also utilizes some clip art obtained from sources which identified it as public domain or authorized for use on non-commercial sites. If you notice any material on this site which you believe to be used in violation of copyright laws please notify the webmaster immediately. Some clip art appearing here is original. All original material contained on this page not otherwise copyrighted is ©2001 by B.W. Freyburger. All rights reserved.

There is a saying in German that translates roughly as "All mushrooms are edible, but some kinds only once." Put another way, there are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old bold mushroom hunters.

Don't overdo it. Most adverse reactions I have had to wild mushrooms have usually been tied to over-consumption. Most of all, if you aren't absolutely sure what it is, it is generally wiser not to eat it. When in doubt throw it out.