Content
Valui (lat.Russula foetens) is a mushroom of the Russula family that is quite common in Russia. In the common people, it is also called a bull, a svur, a kulbik, a cowshed, a weeping mushroom. Some of the names are explained by the rather unpleasant and pungent smell of valuy, and the other - by the fact that his hat is sticky to the touch.
Where does Valui grow
The habitat of Valui is quite extensive - it is found in large quantities in Eurasia and North America. In Russia, the places of greatest distribution are in Western Siberia, the Far East and the Caucasus.
Valui is found in all types of forests. This is explained by the fact that it can form mycorrhiza with both coniferous and deciduous trees, but most often the fungus takes place under birches. In addition, this species can be found in shady and swampy places, as it loves moisture.
The mushroom usually bears fruit in groups, but single specimens are also found.
What does Valui look like
The cap of a mature fruiting body can reach 7-15 cm in diameter and 3-5 cm in height. It is painted in light brown shades. A characteristic feature is the presence of a small hole in the very center of the cap. The surface of the mushroom is very slippery and sticky to the touch. Despite the fact that in adult specimens the cap is rather flat, in young Valuev it looks more like an egg, which gradually opens. Radial stripes are clearly visible along the edge of the cap.
The plates of the hymenophore are long, often located. They are cream in color, sometimes off-white. A translucent yellowish liquid is released from them, which leaves yellowish-ocher stains on the stem. They darken over time.
The leg is quite powerful in appearance. In height, it reaches an average of 6-12 cm, while the diameter of the leg can be 3-4 cm. In shape, it resembles a barrel. The leg is quite dense in structure, but there are also hollow specimens. In old valueers, they become loose, since an empty space of an irregular shape forms inside them. The base of the leg becomes stained over time.
The pulp is rather brittle, fragile. On the cut, it has a white color, but quickly darkens and acquires a brownish tint. The raw pulp tastes very bitter and pungent, and the smell is also unpleasant. In the reviews it is noted that it is somewhat reminiscent of the aroma of spoiled oil.
Is it possible to eat the Valui mushroom
Valui is classified as conditionally edible mushroom. This means that it can be eaten only after culinary processing - for this, the harvested crop is soaked or boiled for a long time. It is also necessary to remove the skin from the fruit bodies, as it is very bitter.
Mushroom taste
The taste of the mushroom is at the level of the third group. Without additional processing, it tastes extremely unpleasant, which is why the value is usually salted and pickled. Also in Russia are popular dishes from fried and stewed value, pre-soaked.The pleasant taste of these mushrooms is especially noted in the form of salty snacks that can be prepared cold or hot. Also, in order to give the values additional notes, the blanks are seasoned with marinade with spices.
Benefits and harm to the body
Valui has many beneficial properties, which made it very popular in traditional medicine, especially in China. In Russia, the mushroom is not used for medicinal purposes, but its benefits are obvious. Properly processed fruit bodies can have the following effects on the human body:
- remove toxins and toxins, being a powerful antioxidant;
- stabilize the work of the heart;
- lower blood sugar levels;
- normalize metabolism;
- strengthen immunity;
- promote the removal of heavy metals from the body.
Of course, all this is true only with moderate use of Valui dishes in food. In addition, this species is rich in protein, which is involved in the formation of new cells. The vitamin composition of the fruit bodies is also quite extensive.
Despite the obvious benefits of this mushroom for the human body, it also has a number of contraindications. These forest fruits should not be eaten in any form:
- children under seven years old;
- pregnant women and nursing mothers;
- people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- with individual intolerance to the components contained in the mushrooms;
- persons with liver and kidney disease.
In addition, fresh valuei should not be eaten. Without additional treatment, they cause severe poisoning, which is determined by the following criteria:
- nausea;
- thirst;
- vomiting;
- labored breathing;
- upset gastrointestinal tract;
- severe pain in the abdomen.
If these symptoms of poisoning appear, you must immediately call an ambulance. Before her arrival, the victim is artificially vomited and the stomach is washed.
False doubles
Valui has some of its relatives that can cause serious food poisoning. Before going into the forest, it is important to familiarize yourself with the description of these false species so as not to harm your health.
Valuy's most dangerous double - Hebeloma sticky (Latin Hebeloma crustuliniforme) or false value. In the common people, this species is called a horseradish mushroom.
A distinctive feature of gebeloma is a pungent and unpleasant odor, reminiscent of horseradish. In addition, this mushroom is distinguished from the edible varieties by the fact that it is never wormy. This is explained by the high content of a rather caustic milky juice in its fruiting body.
Almond russula (lat. Russula laurocerasi) or cherry laurel russula is also very similar to Valui, however, they are easy to distinguish by smell - the aroma of this species gives off strong notes of bitter almonds. In general, the almond russula is slightly smaller and more graceful than the value.
The mushroom is classified as edible, in contrast to the valuy. The taste of this type is most fully revealed during heat treatment, but it can be eaten raw.
Basement (lat.Russula subfoetens) is practically indistinguishable from valuy. They can only be determined by applying potassium hydroxide (KOH) to the stems of the mushrooms - at the basement, the flesh should be colored, while the color of the fruit body of the Valui will remain unchanged.On the other hand, it is not scary to be mistaken in these types, since their taste is not much different from each other.
In the same way as the real valui, the basement refers to conditionally edible mushrooms.
Another common double of Valui is russula morse (lat.Russula illota). This species is also distinguished from the real value by its smell - the russula has an almond aroma, which its relative does not have.
The mushroom can be eaten, it belongs to the edible category.
Collection rules
This species is harvested from July to September, sometimes the harvesting season stretches until mid-October, if the year is warm. At the same time, it is recommended to adhere to the basic rules for picking mushrooms:
- They go to the forest in the morning, when the level of humidity is still high enough. In such conditions, the harvested fruit bodies stay fresh longer.
- As with other mushrooms, Valui should not be pulled out of the ground. The fungus is removed from the soil by gently twisting the stem or carefully cutting it off the ground. Such accuracy is necessary then in order to keep the mycelium intact - so it can bring the harvest next year. If the mushrooms are plucked, she will die.
- During harvesting, you should focus on young mushrooms. Old and overripe valuei do not differ in good taste, therefore, specimens with hats, the size of which does not exceed 5-6 cm, are usually collected.
Use
Valuy pulp has a rather unpleasant taste when raw. So much so that in the West the mushroom is considered inedible. In Russia, salted preparations are made from it for the winter, soaking for a long time before that in order to remove the bitterness from the fruit body. Valuy mushroom caviar is very popular in Ukraine and Belarus.
In general, the process of preparing valui looks like this:
- First of all, the fruiting bodies are thoroughly washed from the ground, leaves and other debris, after which the bitter skin is carefully removed from them.
- The next step is to soak the mushrooms. This is necessary in order to remove unpleasant odor and bitterness. It takes an average of 2-4 days to soak, while using cold water. The liquid is changed twice a day so that the mushrooms do not sour.
- The soaking procedure can be replaced by cooking - heat treatment can significantly reduce the time for preparing the crop for salting. To do this, the washed fruit bodies are folded into a saucepan and poured to the top with water. Mushrooms are boiled for at least 40 minutes, after which they can be used for winter harvesting.
This species is unsuitable for drying, since its pulp is too bitter. It is also not recommended to use legs for blanks, usually only caps are selected.
Conclusion
Valui is a rather difficult mushroom to prepare, however, the blanks from it are excellent. At the same time, it is still not recommended to eat value for small children, pregnant women and people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, since the slightest mistake in cooking can harm health. Insufficient soaking of the mushroom does not pose serious problems, but slight food poisoning will follow.
You can learn more about how to collect value from the video below:
