Pepper fungus is a fairly rare tubular macromycete that usually grows singly. However, there are also small groups. Pepper mushroom grows quite rarely in open dry areas of soil in coniferous and deciduous forests. You can find it from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
Description
Don't confuse the pepper mushroom (shown in the third photo) with the pepper mushroom. They have nothing in common with each other and even belong to different genera. Pepper mushroom in appearance resembles a butter dish. It has a convex cap, which flattens out over time. Her skin is moist and smooth. After rain, it becomes sticky. As a rule, the hat is painted in a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown hue.
Tubular layer has large pores. Its color approaches the shade of the hat, only a little darker. The leg is thin at the base, rounded, solid inside. It can be curved or straight, reaching a height of about 8 cm and a diameter of 1 cm. Its surface is the same color as the hat (sometimesbe somewhat lighter), matte, smooth. Mushroom pulp is brittle and friable, yellow in color, without any smell. However, it tastes very bitter, reminiscent of pepper. This is how it got its name.
Edibility discussions
Oddly enough, a relatively small pepper mushroom has become a subject of serious controversy. You can see a photo of him in this article. The opinions of fans of the "quiet hunt" were divided into diametrically opposed ones. Some mushroom pickers recognize this macromycete as inedible. Others argue that although it is little known, it is suitable for food not only pickled and s alted, but even fresh or dried. Some people use pepper mushroom (dried) ground into powder as a spicy seasoning for various dishes.
According to fans of this mushroom, it is underestimated, and is recognized as inedible because of its bitter taste. Long cooking makes it possible to eat it, although it is still impossible to completely remove the peculiar aftertaste. Often, even well-cooked pepper mushrooms add bitterness to food. However, he has a lot of fans. Its taste seems refined to many, because it gives dishes a piquant spiciness.
Expert Opinion
Pepper mushroom is also ambiguously evaluated by scientists. Many experts say that it is absolutely safe. However, some biochemists unequivocally assess it as poisonous. They argue that this macromycete contains rare and very toxic compounds that are not destroyed when heated. When eating this mushroom, they accumulate in the body. These compounds gradually destroy liver cells and provoke mutations in them. The result of these processes can be oncology or cirrhosis. Moreover, their causes are very difficult to establish, since years can pass between eating a pepper mushroom and the disease. Therefore, the disease is attributed to something else, and the fungus remains "edible". The first sign of pathology is heaviness and discomfort in the right hypochondrium. Given the above, there can only be one recommendation. Until specialists have unequivocally proved the safety of the pepper fungus, there is no need to take risks by eating it.
