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Variegated umbrella - a mushroom widely known to many mushroom pickers, belonging to the champignon family. Under favorable climatic and weather conditions, this type of mushroom can reach gigantic sizes - up to 0.5 m. Moreover, lovers of quiet hunting often bypass such specimens, as such large mushrooms inspire fear and make them doubt their edibility.
Although this type of mushroom grows in many countries, however, its taste characteristics are not appreciated everywhere. For example, in Italy, exclusively young mushrooms are used for cooking, the opening of the caps of which has not yet occurred. On the territory of our country, all copies are used for culinary purposes.
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This type of mushroom got its name due to the characteristic shape of the cap. Of all the edible representatives of the champignon family, an umbrella is the most common, especially in the northern hemisphere (temperate regions). Note that due to its unique appearance, it is quite difficult to confuse this type of mushroom with any other species.
The mushroom hat is rather large, ovoid in diameter, reaches 35-40 cm in diameter. As the mushroom grows up, the hat acquires an umbrella-like shape with a slight bulge in the center and slightly curved edges. The surface is fibrous, grayish-brown in color, covered with large angular scales, which peel off quite easily. The flesh of the cap is fleshy, white, the taste and smell of flesh are pleasant (characteristic mushroom).
The foot of the motley umbrella is also quite large, as is the body of the cap, and can reach a length of 300 mm with a diameter of 30 mm. The form is regular, cylindrical, the inside is hollow, at the base there is a slight thickening. The color of the legs is brownish, small dark scales are noticeable on the surface. The ring on the leg is large enough to move freely.
Spore powder of a motley umbrella of a beige shade. The width of the plates reaches 2 cm, are densely arranged, the color varies from white to pinkish.
Species distribution
Peak fruiting time is from the beginning of summer until the fall. For the growth of mushrooms, heat and moisture are required, therefore, during periods of intense rainfall or a significant decrease in air temperature almost never occurs. The mushroom is easy to notice due to its main feature - its impressive size.
Edibility
As mentioned above, the motley umbrella is an edible mushroom with excellent taste, so it is not surprising that many mushroom pickers consider it one of the best edible species. Umbrella hats can be grilled and added to salads after heat treatment. As a rule, the leg has a denser and stiffer pulp, which is why it is mainly dried, and subsequently used as a seasoning with a pronounced mushroom aroma for preparing various dishes.
Large and old mushrooms with dense flesh often ferment. We draw attention to the fact that the preparation of umbrellas implies the mandatory pre-treatment of mushrooms - cleaning from hard scales on both the hat and the leg.
Similar views
Variegated umbrella refers to edible mushrooms that do not contain any substances unsafe for the human body.
Nevertheless, this fungus has many toxic doubles that have some similarities in appearance, and their use can negatively affect human health.
- Chlorophyllum lead-slag. The main place of growth of this highly toxic mushroom species is North America. The main difference from the motley umbrella is the more modest sizes of representatives of this species, the characteristic olive color of the spore powder, as well as the fact that when pressed on the flesh of the mushroom, the latter acquires a rich brown hue. The danger of this type of mushroom to humans is the presence in its pulp of a large amount of harmful toxins. Also, this mushroom does not have a distinctive aroma inherent in the motley umbrella.
- Chlorophytllum is dark brown. This type of mushroom, like the one mentioned above, also differs from the umbrella in smaller sizes, as well as the reddening pulp of the fruiting body. In our latitudes, this type of mushroom practically does not occur. Nevertheless, there are cases when even experienced mushroom pickers, having found it, perceived it as an umbrella, which is explained by almost identical external similarity. The main difference by which, in fact, one can determine this poisonous and dangerous mushroom for humans is that when the fruit body is broken, the flesh changes color very quickly - acquiring a characteristic reddish tint.
Also, the motley umbrella also has edible brothers that are completely harmless to humans.
The common umbrella fungus differs from its motley relative in more elegant forms. Also, the main difference between these species can be attributed to the very modest sizes of representatives of the species (leg length up to 100 mm, cap diameter not exceeding 150 mm).
A blushing umbrella is a mushroom that is small in size with a blushing pulp and a kind of “shaggy” surface of the hat (the maximum leg length is 150 mm, the diameter of the hat reaches 200 mm).
Benefit and harm
The motley umbrella is dangerous only for those people who have individual intolerance; note that such cases are very, very rare.
It is important to take into account the fact that this type of mushroom is valuable not only for its taste and nutritional characteristics. An umbrella contains a fairly large number of useful and active substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Thanks to this, the motley umbrella is used to treat many ailments through traditional medicine. Note that in some Asian countries, this type of mushroom has long earned the trust of not only healers and doctors, but also many pharmaceutical companies.
Eating this type of mushroom will be very beneficial for people with diabetes. A moderate amount of food eaten will help significantly reduce insulin dependence, as well as normalize the work of such an organ as the thyroid gland.
These mushrooms can be an excellent solution for those people who decide to reduce body weight, and cleanse their body of harmful toxins and toxins. Even a one-time use of a dish prepared from a motley umbrella will help activate metabolic processes in the body. Accordingly, in order to lose weight, eating mushrooms alone will not be enough. The best solution is the inclusion of a motley umbrella in the diet, which will help to achieve the desired effect - reducing excess weight and improving overall health.
Such a mushroom as a variegated umbrella copes with tasks such as tissue regeneration, so it is often recommended to use for people who have undergone surgery, so that wounds heal much faster.Also, this property is used to slow down the changes caused by age-related aging of tissues.
A mushroom extract has recently been used as an effective pre-tumor agent used as one of the components of complex therapy.
Many of our compatriots use variegated mushroom to prepare tasty and healthy preparations for the winter. Mushrooms perfectly retain their taste and nutritional value both in brine and in marinade.
To prepare these mushrooms, it is enough to clean the fruit body from scales, and then perform heat treatment - boil for 20-30 minutes.
Video: motley umbrella (Macrolepiota procera)
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