September's Wild Food of the Month
Porcini or Cep
The king of edible fungi
 The King
Bolete (Boletus edulis) has a variety of common names because it has become so
beloved around the world for it's firm texture and distinctive flavor.
It is known as the Cep in France and Porcini in Italy, but here in the states it is simply
known as the king... Bolete that is.
Boletus edulis is found on the ground singly or in troops in late summer and
early fall.
The cap color is variable from a deep redish brown to a
very light tan with yellowish tints. The cap is dome shaped, similar to a hamburger bun
and can grow to ten inches accross. It is smooth but not slimy. The flesh of both the cap
and stem is white and mild tasting, and yes it's okay to take a small sample and spit it
out. If it tastes bitter, it's not a Cep.
Boletes have a sponge-like pore surface rather than gills on the underside of the cap. The
pore surface is white when immature and turns yellow to yellow-brown as the spores ripen.
The pore surface can turn slowly brownish-olive when rubbed or scratched but will not turn
blue or bruise quickly. Quick bruising to blue indicates that you have found something
other than Boletus edulis.
 The stalk on B. edulis is
thick, white to yellowins and sometimes bulbus towards the bottom. Netlike ridges called reticulation
should be present on the upper part if not all of the stem. The reticulation is usually
slightly browner than the stem surface.
Spore color is olive-brown.
You will find Cep recipes in French and Italian cookbooks and dried porcini is becoming
more and more common in grocery stores throughout the country.
As always if you aren't sure abot what you've found,
consult a field guide or a trusted expert. Bottom line as always: when in doubt throw it
out!
-Roy Reehil
Happy Hunting!
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