Pacific Northwest Varieties of Wild Mushrooms

Cauliflower Mushroom

• The cauliflower mushroom is so named due its resemblance to the common vegetable, and is described by Recipe Tips as having "many wavy, frilly layers and folds of fleshy growth." The fungi has a roundish shape and is made of thin, curly edged sections that cluster together at its base. Cauliflower mushrooms usually grow at the foot of trees or around exposed roots causing rot to the bark. Many cauliflower mushrooms reappear yearly in the same place during the summer or autumn. Cauliflower mushrooms can be white, ivory, yellow or light brown and range from 4 to 15 inches in diameter. To prepare, slice cauliflower mushrooms into thin sections, cleaning them with a brush to remove dirt before breading and deep-frying.

King Bolete

• The king bolete resembles a typical forest fungi, with a thick stem and a round cap and is described by the Mushroom Collecting website as a "very popular, delicious, meaty mushroom." Found all over the world, king bolete mushrooms vary greatly in size, with caps ranging from 2 to 10 inches in diameter. They can be tan or reddish brown and have pores underneath their caps instead of gills, grow on mossy patches underneath trees and are firm when young, but grow spongy and soft with age. The mushrooms can be eaten raw, cooked, pickled or frozen, according to the Myko Web site, which adds that dried boletes, "have a deep, rich taste that dominates soups and sauces."

Horn of Plenty

• The horn of plenty mushroom, also known as the black chanterelle, is shaped like a funnel or trumpet, with the cap falling in toward the stem at its center. The mushrooms range in size from 1/2 inch to more than 2 1/2 inches in diameter with heights of 1 1/2 to nearly 4 inches and are a dark gray or black color. The horn of plenty has wavy edges and a leathery texture, turning lighter in color when the mushroom dries out. Horn of plenty mushrooms can be hard to spot in the wild, as they grow under the canopies or trees and their color allows them to blend in with dirt and dead leaves. The Mycological Society of San Francisco describes horns of plenty as "meaty and chewy" and an excellent complement to chicken, veal and pork.

Black Morel

• The black morel mushroom grows underneath conifer and hardwood trees throughout the Pacific Northwest and has an earthy, smoky flavor. The black morel can be as small as 1 inch in height or taller than a foot, and appear in forests during the early spring. The mushrooms have a thick, cream-colored stem and a wrinkly, pointed cap that varies in color from brown to black. Those with allergies should proceed with caution when trying a black morel for the first time, as they are more likely to cause allergic reactions than yellow or half-full morels. Though such reactions are generally not fatal, they are worsened by consuming alcohol along with the morels.