Cauliflower Fungus
Sparassis crispa · Sparassidaceae
Also called Brain Fungus
A cream coloured mass of wavy lobes at the base of pines, looking like a bath sponge or a cauliflower.
Edible. None known, but it is very fiddly to clean.
Read the full foraging safety guidance.
Season
August to November
Where it grows
- Pine
- Conifer stumps
- Conifer roots
Identification
- Cap
- 10-40cm, a rounded mass of flattened wavy cream to tan lobes.
- Gills / pores
- None.
- Stem
- A short rooting base attached to pine roots.
- Flesh
- Cream, firm, becoming tough with age.
- Spore print
- White.
- Smell & taste
- Sweet and distinctly aromatic.
Lookalikes
Nothing dangerous looks like it. Older specimens simply toughen.
In the kitchen
Soak and rinse thoroughly, every fold holds grit and insects. Wonderful flavour, good in soups and slow dishes.
Also edible
Penny Bun
Boletus edulis
The most sought-after wild mushroom in Britain: nutty, firm and richly scented, with a pale bun-like cap and a fat netted stem.
Chanterelle
Cantharellus cibarius
Egg-yolk yellow, trumpet-shaped and smelling faintly of apricots. One of the safest and finest edibles once learned.
Field Mushroom
Agaricus campestris
The classic mushroom of unimproved pasture: white cap, pink gills darkening to brown, and a clean mushroomy smell.