Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

The types of mushrooms you can (and can’t) eat

Foraging for edible mushrooms is a fun, but sometimes deadly activity: Know what to look for

Lindsay Parrill
By

Mushrooms are one of the luxuries of adulthood. I’ve never met a single child who likes mushrooms, including myself. But oh, when I discovered what I was missing, I certainly made up for lost time. Meaty, earthy, savory, and luscious, mushrooms are not only delicious, but a joy to cook with, and full of health benefits.

In recent years, as getting back to nature and homegrown food has become popular again, people have taken to the woods to forage and gather their own mushrooms. A fun activity, to be sure, but also a potentially fatal one. As delicious as many mushrooms are, there’s also a big list of ones that can kill you. The sneaky piece of it all is that it’s often difficult to tell the difference between those that are good, and those that are evil.

Recommended Videos

So if you find yourself with an urge to gather your own mushrooms, be sure to tag along with an experienced forager, or the consequences could be fatal. To get you started, though, here is a list of popular mushrooms that are safe and delicious, and a list of those that are definitely not.

Be careful out there.

Related

Edible mushrooms

A serving of assorted mushrooms.
Atsushi Hirao / Shutterstock
  • Button – The most common grocery store mushroom, Buttons can be brown or white.
  • Oyster – Uniquely and strikingly shaped, Oyster mushrooms have a slightly sweet and mild flavor.
  • Enoki – Enokis have a long and slender shape that resembles bean sprouts. They are common in Asian cooking.
  • Chanterelle – Bold, brightly yellow chanterelles are fruity and delicious, with a slightly peppery note.
  • Porcini – Thick and sturdy, Porcinis are delicious in a number of preparations — even pickled!
  • Shiitake – Once known primarily for their use mainly in Asian cooking, Shiitakes have recently started to make their way into Western cuisine.
  • Black Trumpet – Most often dried, the Black Trumpet is also known as Black Chanterelle and the Horn of Plenty.
  • Morel – Looking like tiny brains on thick stems, Morels are nutty, earthy, tender, and meaty. An absolutely delicious delicacy.
  • White Beech – Growing in clusters, these mushrooms have a nutty, umami flavor when cooked, but can cause an upset stomach if eaten raw.
  • Chicken of the Woods – Resembling the dress of a Flamenco dancer, this mushroom is bright, frilly, and, you may have guessed, tastes like chicken.

Poisonous mushrooms

H. Krisp/Wordpress
  • Death Cap – Simple and ordinary in appearance, the Death Cap one of the most poisonous mushrooms in the world.
  • Deadly Conocybe – Dainty and deadly, these delicate little mushrooms can be as toxic as Death Caps.
  • Destroying Angel – One of the most toxic species in the world, these pure white mushrooms have many edible look-a-likes, making them that much more dangerous.
  • Satan’s Bolete – Distinct in appearance and easy to identify by their bright red stems, these mushrooms will make you terribly ill.
  • Jack O’Lantern – Given its name due to its bright orange color, this mushroom can cause intense illness.
  • Deadly Webcap – Similar in appearance to edible Funnel Chanterelle and Waxy Caps, Deadly Webcaps can cause complete kidney failure if consumed in large amounts.
  • Angel Wing – Innocently named and beautiful, the Angel Wing can cause fatal encephalopathy.
  • Inky Cap – This odd little mushroom is perfectly edible if eaten without alcohol. However, if mixed with alcohol, it can cause increased heart rate, digestive issues, and tingling in the limbs.
  • Autumn Skullcap – Looking quite dangerously ordinary, Autumn Skullcaps contain very high levels of amatoxin and will often cause liver failure.
  • Brown Roll-Rim – The Brown Roll-Rim is particularly nasty in its sneakiness. After immediate consumption, you may never know what harm it caused, but it will slowly cause your immune system to attack and rupture its own red blood cells.

Of course, knowing the names won’t help you identify edible mushrooms in the wild, so check out this handy guide. (Just remember, a lot of edible mushrooms have poisonous look-a-likes, so you’ll want to be really careful before eating anything.


Types of Mushrooms Infographic by Outforia

Editors' Recommendations

Lindsay Parrill
Lindsay Parrill
Contributor
Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…
The do’s and don’ts of eating sushi, according to a James Beard Award winner
How to do sushi the right way
Sushi from Katami.

There's an etiquette to most thing and sushi is no exception. From the proper way to order to the right way to eat, there's an unwritten code that, when done right, leads to maximum enjoyment. So, whether you're making sushi at home or dining out, there are some rules to keep in mind.

Eating raw fish is a little like making egg white cocktails in that it pays to know a bit about what you're doing. A misstep here or there could lead to a less satisfying dish or, worse, an unhappy host or frustrated chef.

Read more
The Godfather cocktail is an underrated gem (and you only need 2 ingredients)
You only need two ingredients to make the Godfather
Whiskey with a dark background

If you’re anything like us, when you think of whisk(e)y cocktails, your mind tends to head towards bourbon or rye whiskey-based drinks. This is because iconic cocktails like the Manhattan, old fashioned, and mint julep seem to get all the acclaim from cocktail enthusiasts. But if you’re not mixing with Scotch whisky, you’re missing out.

Not only is the penicillin one of the greatest contemporary cocktails, but you can also use single malt Scotch whisky and blended Scotch whisky as the base for any of your favorite whiskey-based cocktails to give them a Highland, Islay, or Speyside twist. And while you can mix up an elaborate, smoky whisky sour with a Lagavulin 16 or an Ardbeg 10-year-old base, you can also whip up a classic, boozy Godfather cocktail even easier.
What is the Godfather?

Read more
The 12 healthiest fruits you can eat right now
Add these fruits to you diet and feel the goodness in your body
Sliced papaya, mango, and nectarines on the table

Gorging on hotdogs and ice cream is fun. But we should not forget to spruce up our diet with healthier options, like fresh fruits. No one fruit will provide all the nutrition that a person needs in a day. In fact, vegetables are typically more nutrient-rich options and lower in sugar than fruit. However, some nutrients, like vitamin C, are found in higher levels in the latter than the former.

Using the USDA’s FoodData Central as our main source, we researched the nutrient makeup of many popular fruits across the globe to bring you our roundup of the healthiest fruits for this season and beyond. Once you purchase these fruits, you can use them as ingredients for concocting creamy milkshakes or your morning smoothies.
Guava

Read more