Wild Wednesday - Penny bun
A chunky-looking mushroom with a cap that looks like a well-baked bread roll, hence the name penny bun.
The stem has a fine net like covering under a thick, bulging cap, with white flesh that yellows with age. This mushroom can grow to about twenty-five centimetres in height and the cap eight to twenty-five centimetres across. It can grow to full maturity in a few days, if the weather conditions are right.
Its scientific name is Boletus edulis, but is also known as the Cep, Porcino or Penny-bun Bolete. It is edible, with a nutty flavour and a firm texture, which holds up well when cooked. They are highly sought after by the food industry and can weigh a kilo or more once mature. Also known as porcini or penny bun mushrooms, Considered one of the most sought-after and delicious wild mushrooms but not to be mistaken for the Bitter Bolete, which although not poisonous, tastes incredibly bitter, even more so if cooked. Always check with someone in the know, if you are going to eat wild mushrooms!
Fairly common in the UK, found in the edges of woodland or grass clearings where there is oak, birch, beech and pine trees.
Read more here: Penny Bun (Boletus edulis) – British Fungi - Woodland Trust