Un fungo primaverile.

Postato il di Tra Italia e Finlandia

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Oggi vi parlo di un fungo sui generis che molta gente raccoglie e apprezza,  pur essendo pericoloso.  Si tratta del velenosissimo Korvasieni,  (Gyromitra esculenta),  in italiano:  Falsa Spugnola,  che spunta a primavera o inizio estate nei boschi di conifere di Europa e nord America,  prevalentemente nei terreni sabbiosi.

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In alcuni manuali puo’ essere definito commestibile dopo lunga cottura,  ma in realta’ e’ molto velenoso e la procedura per prepararlo e’ complicata:  bisogna bollirlo piu’ volte in una quantita’ d’acqua che sia il triplo del suo peso;  bisogna buttare l’acqua dopo ogni bollitura e ripulire il fungo;  bisogna lasciare le finestre aperte durante la bollitura…etc…

Insomma per gustarlo bisogna lavorare un po’,  ma c’e’ chi dice che il suo sapore e’ inimitabile;  forse anche il suo aspetto…ehm! 😉

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La curiosita’ legata a questo strambo fungo e’ proprio l’origine del suo nome in lingua finnica,  ricondotta al suo aspetto:  Korvasieni  infatti significa “fungo dell’orecchio”,  in quanto le sue circonvoluzioni ricordano il padiglione auricolare,  (non solo umano).

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A Spring Mushroom.

We are talking about the dangerous Korvasieni,  False Morel,  (Gyromitra esculenta),  a poisonous mushroom widely distributed in coniferous woodlands across Europe and north America,  which grows in sandy soils in spring or early summer.  

In a few manuals for mushroom identification,  this item might be classified as edible after long cooking.  But the matter goes deeper than that.  Before cooking the False Morel as your receipt is,  you must go through a long and careful procedure to eliminate the poison:  you must boil it a few times in a quantity of water which is three times the quantity of mushrooms;  you must throw away the water after each boiling and clean again the mushrooms;  you must keep windows open during boiling…etc…

In spite of its dangerousness,  many people appreciate this mushroom and look for it every spring;  probably they do not mind its aspect,  neither… 😉

The fun fact about this mushroom is related to its name in Finnish:  Korvasieni  means “the ear mushroom”,  as its shape reminds of the auricle (not only in humans).

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Linked to:  Image-in-ing.  WATW.  My Corner of the World.  Friday Bliss.

45 risposte a "Un fungo primaverile."

  2. Hunting for mushrooms must be fun, but you need to know which ones to take and which ones to leave. I don’t think I would like to risk eating korvasieni. You would need a strong stomach – not worth the experiment of preparing and eating it.

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  18. Before I found your English translation I looked it up online. It says that it also called the Turban Fungus. It is said to be here in North America but I’ve never come across it. My mason bee nesting blocks and tubs are all full so they have been put away until next March when I’ll bring them out to start all over. – Margy

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  33. a weird looking mushroom, i don’t think i have ever seen one. one must always be careful when it comes to mushrooms!! pretty pics though!!

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  41. You found this mushroom in Italy, or Finland? A great name – it does look an ear! From your post I couldn’t tell if you went through the long procedure to get the venom out of this mushroom yourself? Such an interesting post for All Seasons – thank you for sharing it! Have a great “mushroomy” week:)
    (In English, “mushrooming” may be a play on words for things blowing out bigger, or things, or viewpoints increasing in size).

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