74 A PLAIN AND EASY ACCOUNT 



which we do not nowadays admire, were, on the whole, 

 not bad judges of dainties. 



In Lorraine this species is eaten under the name of 

 Polish Mushroom, because, it is said, certain Poles first 

 showed by their own example that these Boleti could 

 be eaten without danger. In Russia they are strung on 

 threads and dried for future use. When the fasts of the 

 Greek Church come round, these dried fungi are in requi- 

 sition, being prepared by simple simmering in water till 

 they become soft. In the department of Gironde, in 

 France, great quantities are preserved in this manner 

 and sent annually to the Parisian markets, and when 

 required for use are soaked in lukewarm water, or beef 

 gravy, till they become softened, and are then cooked 

 in the same manner as when in the fresh state. French 

 cookery has devised many variations in the art of pre- 

 paring this, as well as almost every other commonly 

 used fungus, for the gastronome. There is certainly a 

 kind of sliminess about the Boleti which would not 

 commend them to the tastes of many ; but this becomes 

 far more unpleasantly evident in some methods of pre- 

 paration than others. They are, nevertheless, in any 

 way better than no dinner at all, and if our rural po- 

 pulation could be induced to look upon them with a 

 little more favour, they would often get a relish with 

 their " potatoes and point " for the trouble of 

 collecting and cooking, while the Boleti are now per- 

 mitted to flourish and decay year by year without care 

 or regret. 



In all cases the young state, while the under surface 



