These giant mushrooms are the result of all the rain we have had in Durban throughout October. Take your pick for measuring them; a hand, a size 6 shoe or a Dachshund… These shrooms would make a mean omelette or risotto… Does anyone know if they are edible? What are the tell-tale signs for mushrooms you can eat? Will these kill me? π
I’m not sure, but I’d love to know… Are you willing to sacrifice your health for the sake of science, mol-d? Just kidding, don’t do it!
holy guacamole!
you could make a really big mushroom omelette with those π
you will DIE!
Someone told me the other day that one of the signs that a mushroom is edible is a dark/black underbelly. Not sure if this is hard fact though. BAsed on that I wouldn’t eat those but my word what awesome braai steaks they would make – well seasoned and marinated in a thick BBQ sauce hmmmmmm
YUUUUUUM. (“i can see the pretty music”)
hey carlos,
i think it depends. we ate a killer omelette of mushrooms from a field at my friend’s farm in kokstad. they were great but the freshest ones were light pink on the underside…
I think those are parasol mushrooms from the family Macrolepiota. best is to get a book and do a definate ID before you eat!
i wonder if they are makowe (sp) they grow wild around here especially up the north coast. They also get really big and when cooked they taste apparently even better than porcini.
Mouldy, i think you should have eaten them!
Those, as far as I know, are not edible. They are, however, from the Agaricales family, which includes the common field, button and giant black mushroom. But bear in mind this family also includes Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric, mildly toxic and hallucinogenic) and Amanita phalloides (Death Cap, deadly poisonous).
So, I’d advice caution with these. I did once take a spore print from these (which you can do very easily but breaking off the stem and placing the head on a sheet of white papaer oveernight), and it came up a beautiful pale jade green.
These guys pop up infrequently all over Durban after rain, and seem to favour lawns where heavy deposits of grass clippings have mulched down over time. I’m not sure of their name.
This site is like a classroom, except I don’t hate it. lol
Those look like parasol mushrooms, they are not ‘kowe at all. I usually find them under trees. I do not think thaey are edible.
thanks for the info, neil… i won’t be making parasol risotto…
In reply to Travis:
These mushrooms are part of the Agaricus family which is a completely different species to the poisonous Amanita family. Most agaricus are edible however a few will give you an upset stomach, but none are deadly as in the Amanita family. The danger is in mistaking an Amanita for an Agaricus.
Mahowe mushrooms are big and the outside is a light brown all over..underneath theyre white ..these are delicious and usually grow very fast after a thunderstorm or heavy rains..usually in sugar cane fields.
They certainly look like the makowe mushrooms. Which can’t be grown commercilay as they normally germinate from termite nests. I believe they grow from the mulching that the termites produce for their underground gardens.Normally after thunderstorms.Obviously something to do with the excessive nitrogen caused by lightning, which is what they flush the commercial farms to control harvesting. They are considered a delicasy by many however I find they similar in flavour to the Oyster mushroom.
makowe mushrooms …..we live in Ashburton and this was found this morning….it is the most delightful mushroom to eat but cannot be cultivated they pop up after thunderstorms. Peter Little comments above are correct….. I have a photo of this one and hope to upload it for you guys
Looks like (excuse the spelling) Ikowa …. they grow in the (old name) Trankei when the lightning is about ….. loved by the locals and often put of a braai and cooked like a steak
My maid used to call them magorbi mushrooms i don’t think the spelling is right. They are nice fried with cabbage. π
Those are almost certainly Makowe mushrooms which are definitely edible!
This is probably a False Parasol mushroom which is poisonous. Don’t eat these!
https://www.mushroomguru.co.za/poisonous-mushrooms.html
For sure they are edible, very tasty as long as they are whit or creamy under Thier umbrella, the poisonous ones are black under the umbrella.Enjoy them stir fried with onion and garlic or just on the barbecue .