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Among the many conditionally edible representatives of the mushroom kingdom, the Satanic mushroom stands a little apart. Scientists have not yet come to an unambiguous conclusion about its edibility, in some countries it is allowed to collect and eat it, in others it is considered poisonous. Next, a photo and description of the satanic mushroom will be given, it will be told about the places of its growth, distinctive features will be given so as not to confuse it with other species.
Why is the satanic mushroom so called
Boletus satanas - this is how the name of the satanic mushroom sounds in Latin. The exact origin of this appellation is not known for certain. Most likely, it is associated with the color of the leg. Its color is bright red or crimson near the ground, closer to the cap the tone becomes lighter, the color turns into white, pink or yellow. Thus, the growing satanic mushroom vaguely resembles the tongue of hellfire escaping from the ground. The satanic mushroom growing in the forest is pictured below.
The second hypothesis of the origin of the name is related to the fact that it visually looks a bit like a real boletus, the desired prey of many mushroom pickers, but at the same time it is inedible, poisonous, a kind of trick.
Where Satanic Mushroom Grows
The satanic mushroom grows in deciduous (less often mixed) forests with a predominance of oak, beech, hornbeam or linden, with which it often forms mycorrhiza. You can meet him in well-lit places from June to October. Prefers to grow on calcareous soils. In Russia, it grows limitedly, it is found mainly in some southern regions, in the Caucasus, as well as in the southern part of Primorsky Territory. Boletus satanas is widespread in the countries of Southern and Central Europe.
An overview video about this representative of the Boletov family can be viewed at the link:
What does a satanic mushroom look like?
According to the description, the satanic mushroom has quite a lot of similarities with the well-known porcini mushroom (Latin Boletus edulis), which, however, is not surprising, since both species belong to the same family. His hat is 5-25 cm in diameter, dense, massive, semicircular or cushion-shaped, covered with white, cream or greenish-yellow velvety skin on top. The lower part of the cap is tubular, its color can vary from yellow to orange or deep red. The pulp at the break turns red and then turns blue.
The leg is 15-17 cm long, the diameter in the thickened part can reach 10 cm. The shape is pear-shaped or barrel-shaped, the color is red, crimson, beetroot or pink, there is a distinguishable mesh pattern on the surface. On the cut, the flesh of the leg of the satanic mushroom becomes first red and then blue.
Satanic mushroom edible or poisonous
Mycologists disagree on whether Boletus satanas is edible or inedible. In Russia, the satanic mushroom is definitely considered poisonous, since eating it raw is guaranteed to end in poisoning. Even after prolonged heat treatment of the fruiting body, toxins remain inside it, which can cause a deterioration in health. Despite this, in some European countries, for example, in the Czech Republic and France, the satanic mushroom is considered conditionally edible and is actively harvested, eating it after prolonged soaking and heat treatment.
The final question of whether Boletus satanas is edible or inedible has not been resolved. However, mushroom pickers, especially inexperienced ones, it is still better to refrain from collecting it. There is no need to risk health with such an abundance of other mushrooms in Russia, especially since many of them are guaranteed to be tastier and safer.
What Satanic Mushroom Tastes Like
Experienced mushroom pickers have a saying: "You can eat all mushrooms, but some only once." She is directly related to the described member of the mushroom community. Eating it raw is contraindicated as it can be fatal. In those countries where Boletus satanas is considered conditionally edible, it is soaked for a long time before consumption, and then boiled for at least 10 hours.
After such processing, it becomes almost tasteless, although some find its taste slightly sweet. Considering all the nuances and restrictions associated with the use of this product, its nutritional and culinary value is in question.
How to distinguish a satanic mushroom
The Boletaceae family (Latin Boletaceae) is quite extensive and at the same time poorly studied. It includes, in addition to Boletus satanas, the following inedible boletus:
- Whitish boletus (Latin Boletus albidus).
- Rose gold boletus (Latin Boletus rhodoxanthus).
- False Satanic Mushroom (Latin Boletus splendidus).
- Boletus legal, or de Gal (lat.Boletus legaliae).
In addition to these boletus, other boletus species that are poorly studied or not classified are also classified as inedible.
There are a number of other representatives of this family, about the edibility of which there is no consensus. These include the following conditionally edible boletus:
- Olive brown oak tree (Latin Boletus luridus).
- Speckled oak (Latin Boletus erythopus).
All representatives of the Boletov family have certain similarities. In order not to be mistaken in harvesting the forest harvest and not to collect satanic boletus instead of edible ones, one must very clearly know their distinctive features.
The difference between the satanic mushroom and the oak tree
In appearance, the oak tree (poddubnik) and the satanic mushroom are very similar. It is not easy to distinguish them, even by indirect signs: both turn blue when pressed. They ripen in the same period of time, so it is quite easy to confuse these two species. Nevertheless, there are still differences between them.
Unlike the oak tree, the satanic mushroom does not turn blue immediately. At the break, its pulp first turns red, and then only the color changes to blue. Dubovik, on the other hand, turns blue at the site of mechanical damage almost immediately. There are other signs by which these two fungi can be distinguished. The flesh of the oak tree is lemon-colored, while that of the satanic mushroom is white or slightly creamy. The hat of a young oak tree has a pleasant olive color, turning into orange or burgundy with age, the color of the hat of Boletus satanas is white, cream or slightly greenish.
The difference between the satanic mushroom and white
It is very easy to distinguish a white mushroom from a satanic one. The easiest way is to cut it in half. White, unlike satanic, never turns blue when cut. Differences are also evident in color.The common boletus is never painted in such flashy tones, it does not have either a red leg or an orange tubular layer. Sectional Satanic Mushroom - pictured below:
The white mushroom differs from the satanic one and has a much wider distribution area, which reaches the Arctic Circle and even affects the Arctic zone. Naturally, Boletus satanas simply does not occur in such latitudes. Even in central Russia, his find can be attributed rather to the exceptions. This is also confirmed by the fact that in almost all countries it is called the same, in contrast to the real boletus, which has a huge number of local names.
Satanic mushroom poisoning
As noted above, eating the satanic mushroom raw is categorically contraindicated. This will 100% lead to poisoning. The pulp of the fruiting body contains muscarine, the same toxin found in amanita. Its content is slightly less, but even at such concentrations, it can lead to severe poisoning. In addition to muscarine, the pulp of the fruiting body contains the toxic glycoprotein bolesatin, which increases blood clotting.
Gerard Oudou in his "Encyclopedia of Mushrooms" classifies Boletus satanas as poisonous. Some other mycologists consider it to be easily poisonous and allow it to be eaten, since the toxins contained in it are in the same group as the milky juice of some lamellar mushrooms. Therefore, they believe that the maximum that can threaten someone who has eaten a piece of Satanic mushroom is an upset stomach. There is no consensus on this issue. Despite this, everyone agrees on one thing: Boletus satanas cannot be consumed raw.
Soaking and prolonged heat treatment reduces the content of toxins in the fruit body to a certain level acceptable to humans. However, a child or adult can be poisoned by the satanic mushroom after all the required treatments. Any mushrooms themselves are quite heavy food, and not every stomach can handle them. No wonder their use is contraindicated in children under 10 years of age. Symptoms of Satanic Fungus Food Poisoning are as follows:
- stomach upset;
- persistent diarrhea, sometimes bloody;
- vomiting;
- limb cramps;
- severe headaches;
- fainting.
Severe poisoning can result in respiratory paralysis or cardiac arrest. When the first signs of poisoning are found, it is necessary to flush the stomach, reducing the amount of toxins in the body. To do this, you need to drink as much of a weak solution of potassium permanganate as possible, and then induce vomiting. If potassium permanganate is not at hand, you can use mineral or ordinary water to which a little salt is added. To reduce the absorption of toxins in the stomach, in case of poisoning with a satanic mushroom, you need to take an absorbing substance (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb or similar drugs).
Conclusion
Photos and descriptions of the satanic mushroom are far from complete information about this representative of the Boletov family. Due to its very limited use, it has been studied rather poorly, therefore it is possible that mycologists in the future will unequivocally classify it in any category. Until this happens, it is better to refrain from using it, so as not to harm yourself once again. Mushroom pickers have a golden rule: “I don’t know - I don’t take”, and it should be followed in relation to not only the satanic mushroom.
