In Spain, an activity that is quite widespread throughout the peninsula is collecting mushrooms. This type of activity can have some risks if it is not well known about the species we are collecting. And this is because there are numerous species of poisonous mushrooms that we can mistakenly take as if they were edible mushrooms. Therefore, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you about the types of edible mushrooms in Spain.

If you want to learn about the different types of edible mushrooms in Spain to be able to make a good harvest, this is your post.

How to tell a poisonous mushroom from an edible one

The first thing we must know above is to differentiate an edible mushroom from a poisonous one. Among these types of mushrooms there are some characteristics in common that can help us to differentiate them at first glance. As a main characteristic we have that edible mushrooms usually have scales and are of the class of basidiomycetes. To distinguish the fungi that are edible from those it is not enough to look at the spores that are inside their scales.

The spores are those parts of the mushroom that allow them to reproduce and grow again next to the first ones. We must also look for some juices, aromas and shades of each type of mushroom. One of the aspects that can help us differentiate between an edible and poisonous mushroom is the type of habitats where it is developing, as well as the season.

We must make a selection between the mushrooms that have a base and a hat and those that do not. There are some mushrooms that have a cap and a cap and are quite toxic. These are the ones that are shaped like a gut or brain on the head part. Most of the toxic mushrooms break down as fiber when we open to remove their meat.

The color of the spores is also a determining factor, although it is more difficult to recognize it. To know the status, it was necessary to allow the spores to settle on a leading paper, which color the lamellae of the mature specimens acquire.

We are going to give you a list of mushrooms that are most common in Spain and that are edible.

Types of edible mushrooms in Spain

Wild mushroom

It is the best known edible mushroom that is collected in Spain. It presents a variety that we find with a white hat that tends towards grayish or pink tones. It has a size that varies between 3 and 12 centimeters in diameter. The blades have a pinkish white color and progress to a dark brown and black as they develop and mature.

It tastes quite pleasant and smells good. It usually appears in early spring and lasts until late fall. The ecosystems where we can collect them are in meadows and grasslands. In all the edible varieties of wild mushrooms of the genus Agaricus it is recommended not to collect the mushrooms that are already mature and have black plates. This is done to avoid digestion problems when we eat it.

Oronja

Image – Photos of bolets

This type of mushroom is considered by many people as one of the best types of edible mushrooms in Spain. It has an exquisite flavor and can be consumed in different ways. It has a fairly large hat and has a diameter that varies between 8 and 25 centimeters. As its name indicates, it has an orange color that sometimes has to be yellowish. The blades have a pale yellow color that progresses to a golden yellow as they develop and mature. They are quite numerous and wide.

The harvest time of the Oronja is from the beginning of autumn and we can find them in holm oak and cork oak forests. It prefers calcareous soils and can grow under chestnut and oak trees.

Boletus edulis

It is one of the best known mushrooms of the genus Boletus. It is a mushroom of excellent consideration for those who are fond of mushroom picking and for professional cooks. The key to its fame is that it has a fairly sweet taste, good texture and consistency. Normally it has a variable color that changes between whitish when it is young and ends up with a more brownish tone as it develops completely. One feature that serves to differentiate it from the rest is that its cuticle is viscous.

The stage in which we can collect the Boletus edulis is from the end of summer to the end of autumn. We can find them in more leafy and coniferous areas.

Níscalo

It is also known by the scientific name Lactarius deliciosus. It is one of the best known types of edible mushrooms in Spain. This is due to its good flavor and abundance. It is easy to recognize if we look at their hat and they have a lot of meat. Regarding its size, we can see that it has a diameter of up to about 15 centimeters. Its color is orange to reddish and as it matures, some green spots appear. The lower plates serve to differentiate them since it has an orange color and they usually appear quite tight.

The chanterelle harvesting season begins in the fall and into early winters. Where we can find more abundance of the níscalo is under young pine forests.

Chanterelle

The chanterelles are fairly easy to recognize by having a funnel – shaped hat and a yellowish color. We can find it with some sheets as folds with a yellow color and a dry cuticle. We can easily separate this cuticle from the rest of the fungus.

It is excellent to consume as it has a quite fruity and delicious flavor with a bitter touch on some occasions. Chanterelle harvesting season is in autumn and we can find it in oak, beech and pine forests.

Black truffle

Finally, it is a type of underground mushroom that has a brownish to black color. It stands out for having a warty surface and is highly appreciated for its great culinary value. It is collected with the help of dogs that are trained to locate them since they are underground. In order to find the areas where the black truffle is most abundant, it is in those areas that have limestone terrain and are close to the roots of trees such as holm oaks, gall oaks and hazelnuts.

The harvest time of the black truffle is variable. In order for them to develop, it is strictly necessary that there be rains in June and August. Harvesting takes place in the first weeks of December until March.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the types of edible mushrooms in Spain