What does the Crimean mountain white mushroom look like and its description (+22 photo)

The nature of the Crimean peninsula is so unique, and the climate is unpredictable that even a professional mushroom picker, who has lived all his life on the peninsula, never knows in advance when the season of “silent” hunting will begin this year. The peninsula, due to its unique climate, has become the birthplace of many species of mushrooms, one of which is the Crimean porcini mushroom (white minnow or giant talker), which rightfully deserves the title of “king” of Crimean mushrooms.

Characteristic features of the Crimean porcini mushroom

All mushrooms have their morphological and species characteristics, and this variety is no exception. The giant talker belongs to the Ordinary family and the genus Belosvinuha.

Appearance and photo

Before you go hunting for mountain mushroom, you need to know exactly what it looks like. Defining it is easy. In order not to confuse the white-minded woman with an inedible variety, it is enough to study its description and look at the photo.

The giant talker is a rather large specimen of white color. However, as the white-minnow is growing, the hat may take on a pleasant light coffee hue.

Appearance changes slightly with maturation. At the time of growth of the fruiting body, both the color and the shape of the cap change. In immature specimens, the hat has a flat-convex shape, which, as it ripens, takes the form of a deep funnel. The surface of the cap can sometimes crack into flakes. As a rule, this only happens with very old talkers.

Belosvinukha has a pleasant mild mushroom aroma and a dense or creamy pulp that does not change color on the cut.

Structure and species differences

Giant white-minnow is widely popular among Crimean mushroom pickers.

Hat:

1. Dense and fleshy, quite large. Its diameter ranges from 8 to 30 cm.
2. Color - from white to light coffee (cream).
3. As the hat grows, it changes shape. If at first it is flat-convex, then over time it acquires a funnel shape with a deep depression in the center. There are jumpers on the back of the cap.

Leg:

1. The texture is dense.
2. The size of the leg is not significant when compared with the size of the hat, since its length is 4-7 cm and its thickness is 2.5-3.5 cm.
3. A powdery coating may appear on a light, almost white or white leg.
4. The form is club-shaped or barrel-shaped, with a thickening to the bottom.

Pulp:

1. White or cream color.
2. It has a mild powdery smell.

Microscopy:

1. White spore powder.
2. Amyloid, smooth spores, 6-8 × 3-4 microns in size, are located on basidia, 4 pieces each.
3. The shape of the spores is elliptical.

Place of distribution of the fungus

The white mountain Crimean mushroom, as the name implies, most often grows in the highlands and on the eggs (flat treeless places in the Crimean mountains). It can also be found in deciduous forests and foothills. Ai-Petrinskaya Yayla and the area near Mount Demurgee are one of the best places to collect giant white minnow.

Eating

Refers to conditionally edible form, which can be eaten in boiled, fried, pickled and baked form, that is, exclusively after heat treatment.

Terms and conditions for the collection of Crimean white mushrooms

When collecting a giant white guinea pig, special care must be taken, since only young specimens are recommended for eating. Belosvinuha can be harvested from the month of April until September.

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The talker must be carefully cut with a sharp knife, almost at the level of the soil. You can’t pull or twist the fruit body, since such actions will damage the mycelium.

Key recommendations

A lot of mushrooms grows on the Crimean peninsula, and not all of them can be eaten, so before you go on a “quiet” hunt you need to familiarize yourself with simple recommendations that will help to avoid adverse effects.

Firstly, you need to know how this species of white-faced guinea looks and smells, and secondly, to get acquainted with the place of its growth.

This species deteriorates especially quickly, so it is recommended to collect it in a wicker basket, there the product will not take up and will not overheat, as in a plastic bag or bucket. Putting the "crop" in the container is better with the caps down, so the chances of damage to the fruiting body will be reduced to zero.

To extend the life of the already cut “crop”, it is better to go hunting early in the morning, because under the influence of sunlight, white minders rot and spoil faster.

Difference from false, inedible mushrooms

As a rule, the giant white minnow is difficult to confuse with other species, since at the same time no other specimen has a white color and such an impressive size of a hat.

Mountain mushroom not only has a good taste, but also does not have false inedible doubles as such. Only mushrooms from the genus Talkers can be remotely similar to it, but the size, shape and color of the cap does not allow them to be mixed up.

Useful features and limitations

Belosvinukha has not only nutritional values, but also pharmacological activity. The fact is that the giant talker synthesizes an antibiotic - clitocybin A and B, whose action is directed against tubercle bacillus. Talkers also contain a large number of trace elements necessary for the human body, including zinc, copper, manganese and B vitamins.

In addition, they stimulate the removal of toxins, toxins and other harmful substances from the body and are used in diet food. This type of white-guinea pig is used in the manufacture of certain medications, such as Nebularin, Clitocybin and others.

Recipes and cooking features

The harvested crop is necessarily subject to heat treatment in the form of cooking for 20-30 minutes, in 2 stages. However, before boiling the product, it must be thoroughly cleaned of debris and washed from dirt and sand, paying particular attention to the area under the hat. "Harvest" can also be soaked in water, for this it is enough to fill the product with water for 10-15 minutes.

The product is boiled in salted water. The purified and prepared “crop” is placed in a container with boiling water and boiled for 10 minutes, after which the water is drained and the mushrooms are washed. After the mushrooms are again immersed in clean water with salt and boiled for another 10-20 minutes until cooked.

The most common talker dish is vinaigrette. To prepare it, you need to take:

1. Boiled carrots (2 pcs.).
2. Boiled potatoes (2pcs).
3. Boiled beets (1 pc.).
4. Pickled white minnow (300g).
5. Onion (1 pc.)

All products are cut in large cubes and mixed. As a dressing, you can use vegetable oil or lemon juice. The dish will be a great addition to potatoes or pasta. But with meat or fish, talker does not fit well.

Answers to widespread questions

White Crimean mushroom is a rather exotic species found on the territory of Crimea. Despite the fact that the species belongs to conditionally edible mushrooms, it is still very popular among mushroom pickers, who quite often go to the mountains or eggs precisely for it.