Gorchak: what kind of mushroom is this and can it be eaten?

This fungus quite often occurs in the middle latitudes of our country, it is called the bile fungus, but the people also use its other name - gorchak. What is this and how this mushroom looks like, experienced mushroom pickers probably know, but lovers should be careful, because the bitter bit is often confused with a white fungus, a podborozovikom and a mushroom. There are many disputed versions about whether this mushroom is dangerous. But the question of whether the bile fungus is edible can be unequivocally answered: no, since it has a terrible bitterness and even a small piece of it can spoil the taste of the whole dish. Probably because of this property he was called a bitter.

Gall mushroom (gorchak): a description

This fungus can meet in any area of our country between June and October. The bile fungus can grow both in groups and singly, most often found near coniferous forests, where trees are rare and many fallen pine needles. There is an opinion about the bitter fungus that is a double white fungus. And this is actually so, because in appearance it looks very much like him: a thick sturdy and fleshy leg, on top it is fibrous, dark brown or brown in color. His hat on the inside looks like a sponge, top covered with a porous dense layer. The spongy part has a pinkish hue and is very bitter in taste. Outside the mushroom cap is covered with a thin film, it is dense and with the growth of the fungus it can change its color from pale to dark brown.

How to distinguish bitter from edible mushrooms ?

What kind of mushroom is it and how does it look like, we have already figured out, now let's try to find out the distinctive features of the bitter. How not to confuse him with a white fungus or a poderezozovikom? Perhaps the most important difference of the bile fungus is the coloring of its cap from the inside. It is spongy and has a pink tinge. If such a mushroom is cut off, the leg will quickly darken and become brown. Another important feature of the bile fungus is that no insects ever harm it. For beginners mushroom pickers and amateurs it makes very attractive mushrooms mushrooms. The photos presented here confirm this. The bile fungus is really beautiful, but it should not be taken. After all, as already mentioned, even a small piece of bitter can spoil the whole dish.

Can I poison myself with bitter?

The opinion of scientists differs regarding the fungus gorchak. That this is inedible, but not poisonous mushroom - consider Russian biologists. In their opinion, the use of bile fungus in food is impossible only because of its bitter taste. Foreign scientists believe that the pulp of this fungus contains toxic substances that have a harmful effect on liver cells. If this mushroom has got into the human body, then it can cause dizziness and weakness. A few weeks later, another sign of poisoning - the secretion of bile may appear. It is believed that after ingestion of bile fungus, even the development of liver cirrhosis is possible. If you get this mushroom, think about whether to take it and risk your health. Despite the fact that it is beautiful and looks quite like a real white mushroom, even insects and animals do not rush to eat a bitter, and probably not in vain.