This weekend, our family went mushroom picking, and we kept coming across huge umbrella mushrooms. I knew they were edible, but we had never picked them before. However, this time we decided to gather a few and carefully identify and cook them at home. The mushrooms turned out to be delicious, something between fish, meat, and mushrooms. And I thought about how many tasty mushrooms might have fallen victim to my prejudices because of their appearance. Meet the Top 10 Edible Mushrooms That Resemble Parasol Mushrooms:
1 Orange Jelly Fungus
An edible mushroom from the Tremella genus. It has a diameter of 5–10 cm, jelly-like consistency, and bright yellow to orange color.
2 Hedgehog Mushroom
An edible mushroom from the Hydnum genus, also known as the Bearded Mushroom. It can grow up to 20 cm in size and weigh up to 1.5 kg, with an irregular shape and white color.
3 Fairy-ring Mushroom
An edible mushroom from the Marasmius family. The mushroom cap is concave and wavy, reaching a size of 4-5 cm, and is gray-white in color.
4 Morel
Conditionally edible mushroom from the Morchella genus. It resembles a false morel and is consumed in Russia, while considered poisonous in France and Germany.
5 False Morel
An edible mushroom from the Gyromitra genus. Resembles a wrinkled plum on a stem, as well as a human brain or a walnut.
6 Porcini Mushroom
An edible mushroom from the Boletus family. The fruiting body is pear-shaped. The fruiting part is spherical, measuring 2 to 5 cm.
7 Parasol Mushroom
An edible mushroom from the Agaricus family. The cap is initially spherical, but as it grows, it opens up and can reach a diameter of 20–35 cm, with the edges possibly remaining curled.
8 Amethyst Deceiver
An edible mushroom from the Laccaria family. The size of the mushroom is 5 – 15 cm, with a convex cap and a dark purple color.
9 Manure Mushroom
An edible mushroom from the Agaricus family. Edible when young, before the gills discolor. The cap ranges from 5 to 20 cm in length, elongated-ovate in shape, with a white, grayish, or brownish color.
10 Birch Polypore
An edible mushroom from the Fomitopsidaceae family. Most species are parasites on various trees, causing brown rot. Some sources claim that the mushroom is edible when young.
