ok – its official – porcini are here

For the past week or so rumours of the start of the porcini season- the local wild mushrooms that grow up in the mountains around Barga – have been percolating around the city. There have even been one or two furtive like images of the mushrooms posted up on the forums and circulating on cell phones but today all the rumours became fact when one of the seasoned mushroom pickers walked into Barga Vecchia with a wicker basket on his back containing the first of this year’s precious crop. The recent rain during May and the start of June should mean a good season for the mushroom hunters. The porcini have arrived and will be on the table for a few lucky clients at the L’Osteria in Piazza Angelio this week.

Porcini (Boletus edulis, the Latin name) is a highly regarded edible mushroom. It has a number of English names, including cep (from its Catalan name cep or its French name cèpe), king bolete and penny bun. A common term in current use is porcini (from the plural of its Italian name porcino).

The scientific name, Boletus, from the Latin stem bolet-, meaning “superior mushroom” and edulis, meaning edible, explains the species’ culinary qualities. This mushroom has a distinct aroma reminiscent of fermented dough. It has a higher water content than other edible mushrooms. source