222 EDIBLE MUSHROOMS 



Tasted at the tip, it yields for the first moment of 

 mastication an acid flavor recalling that of the Fistu- 

 lina hepatica. This is followed by a sweet, slightly 

 mucilaginous savor, which, in the realization that the 

 species is wholesome, will at once prove an invitation 

 to further experiment with the fungus as food. 



The texture of the young mushroom will be found 



to vary in its different parts, extremely tender at the 



thickened tuberculated tips, becoming 



Texture fibrous as the stem is approached, and 



and quality increasing in toughness, in fracture 

 suggesting wood in appearance (see A, 

 Plate 26), and unless the specimen is very young 

 this portion will have to be excluded from the diet. 

 Excepting this precaution it needs no preparation 

 for the table, assuming, of course, that the substance 

 is free fi-om grubs, which will presumably be the 

 case, as I have never seen this fungus thus infested 

 except in its more advanced woody growth. 



I have not as yet satisfied myself as to the best 

 methods of cooking this polyporus. Fried in butter 

 it has a tendency to become slightly tough in consist- 

 ency, in its white stringy fibre as well as in taste 

 closely suggesting the " white meat " of chicken. 

 It lends itself well to a stew or ragout, 

 Methods and might, perhaps, to a curry, the 



of cooking substance being cut or broken in small 



pieces and treated after the manner 



of meat under similar recipes. Following the hints 



contained in our last chapter, many methods of its 



culinary treatment will suggest themselves. 



The freely expanded specimen of this species is 



