Among mushrooms, the pufferfish of the fungi world is feared by no one in China, yet abroad it is a high-end delicacy imported in large quantities

Our country is vast and rich in resources, with abundant wild vegetation, especially in the deep mountains and old forests of rural areas, where there are countless wild resources. Among so many wild resources, there are naturally quite a few edible wild foods. Especially in July and August, it is the season when wild mushrooms, wild fruits and other wild foods in the mountains grow and ripen. Every year at this time, many farmer friends go into the mountains to dig wild mushrooms and pick wild fruits to eat. But when it comes to eating wild mushrooms, quite a few delicious wild mushrooms are loved by farmer friends, such as pine mushrooms, porcini and so on, but there are also many wild mushrooms that make people afraid and dare not eat them. Below, the author will introduce one such wild mushroom, which no one in China dares to eat.

When I went into the mountains with old farmer friends from the village to gather wild mushrooms in the morning, the author discovered a very special wild mushroom in the mountains. This wild mushroom looks very much like a morel, but it grows even more bizarrely than a morel, especially its irregular cap, which looks very much like a brain. Therefore, many farmer friends in mountainous areas call this wild mushroom "deer brain mushroom." In fact, the scientific name of this wild mushroom is "Gyromitra esculenta," and its aliases are "lorchel" or "pufferfish mushroom."

In the past, when many farmer friends went into the mountains to pick wild mushrooms, they did not dare to pick this Gyromitra esculenta, let alone eat it, because many farmer friends felt that this strangely shaped wild mushroom was poisonous. In fact, this wild mushroom is indeed poisonous, and its toxicity is very great. If accidentally eaten, symptoms of poisoning such as vomiting, dizziness, lethargy and headache will appear, and in severe cases it can cause coma, and may even lead to death after 5 to 7 days.

In 2017, the World Health Organization also published a new list of carcinogens, and Gyromitra esculenta was on it, which shows how terrifying it is.

It is precisely because Gyromitra esculenta is so terrifying that no one in China dares to eat it, but the world is full of wonders. This poisonous wild mushroom has become a delicacy abroad, and moreover a high-end one. According to what the author has learned, Gyromitra esculenta is a famous delicacy in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the Great Lakes region of North America.

Locally, Gyromitra esculenta is prepared by boiling it until half-cooked, and then used as an ingredient for Western pastries or soups. It is said that properly prepared Gyromitra esculenta tastes as delicious as pufferfish, which is why it has the title "pufferfish mushroom."

Because Gyromitra esculenta only grows in summer and is relatively scarce in number, it is often in short supply in these countries, and large quantities are imported every year. This also leads many farmer friends in mountainous areas of China to go into the mountains every summer to dig this wild mushroom and sell it, earning a little money.

However, the author thinks that since Gyromitra esculenta is poisonous, it is best not to eat it if you see it, so as to avoid problems.

Dear friends, have you ever seen Gyromitra esculenta? You are welcome to leave a message and share your thoughts!