Penny bun - Boletus edulis
- The Foraging Course Company
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Edible mushroom - novice Season - summer to autumn Common names Penny bun, king bolete, cep, cèpe, king mushroom, bouchon, porcini, porcino, penny bun bolete
Scientific name meaning: Boletus originates from the Greek bolos, meaning a lump. Edulis is a Latin word meaning edible
Habitat  A mycorrhizal fungus that associates with deciduous and coniferous trees, particularly silver birch, downy birch, beech, oak, spruce and pine. |
Overall structure and growth  The penny bun is large and solid mushroom. It can be found individually and sometimes small or large groups. |
Cap  The cap is usually between 10 and 30cm. The surface colour is a shade of brown from very pale, almost grey-white when young, through yellow-brown and reddish-brown to dark-brown. It is dome-shaped, and often misshapen. The cap can appear greasy, particularly after rain. The very edge of the cap is lighter than the rest, and often a white band at its extreme edge is visible. |
Pores, tubes and spores  The pore surface starts off white and yellows with age. When sliced through, the upper end of the tubes are a pale yellow to off yellow. The pores are circular. When bruised, the pore surface does not change colour. The spore colour is olive brown. |
Stem  Thick, sturdy and either cylindrical, club- or barrel-shaped. The stem colour is buff and the surface is covered in a white reticulation (net like pattern). The reticulation is most noticeable where the stem meets the cap. It is usually between 10 to 20cm tall and can be 10cm wide, sometimes wider. It has no ring or skirt. |
Flesh, smell and taste  The flesh is white with no colour change when damaged. The smell and taste are sweet and nutty. |
Possible lookalikes  Could be confused with the bitter bolete (Tylopilus felleus), pictured, which is not poisonous but has a nasty, bitter taste. The bronze bolete (Boletus aereus), pine bolete (Boletus pinophilus) and summer bolete (Boletus reticulatus) are very similar to the penny bun. However, all are good edibles. |
Use as a food Can be used exactly as a cultivated mushroom. It has a delicate sweet, nutty flavour and dehydrates well if storage is required. Dehydration dramatically enhances the flavour. It makes an excellent stock or sauce.
The pore surface in older specimens contains a lot of detritus so should be removed Hazards Non known
Use in herbal medicine and medicine The penny bun has been used to treat lumbago and limb pain conditions. It also has antioxidant properties
If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner Other uses None known Importance to other species Slugs and snails often eat these mushrooms. It is also a food source for the red squirrel
Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!
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