Imagine yourself during summer in the Alps, what do you see? If it’s not mushroom picking, then you’ve missed out on one of the best Italian traditions. Mushroom picking for porcini mushrooms or wild mushrooms is one of the greatest Italian fun rides. Many foragers and localites usually flock right to the forests during summers to pick these exotic mushrooms, so if you get a chance to get yourself some dried wild mushrooms for sale or some dry porcini mushrooms.

All About Porcini Mushrooms

As fall is coming to an end, restaurants and eateries eagerly anticipate porcini mushrooms. The nutty definitive flavor that porcini mushrooms emit a certain amount of richness and depth of the meals that make use of these mushrooms. They work well with risotto, soups and are a great alternative for meat. The caps meltdown slowly and form an earthy sauce that’s perfect and comforting. They are used both in comforting food as well as purely as essential items in gourmet cooking. They are equally celebrated on the menus of Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy. 

What Does Porcini Mean?

Porcini actually means ‘piglets’ in Italian. This word is used for a number of different species of mushrooms. However, the most prized Porcini mushrooms are King Bolete, which grows during August. The spongy cap has far too many gills that release plenty of spores, growing many different Porcini mushrooms. However, they are best eaten as fresh mushrooms. If you wish to get Porcini mushrooms in regions that don’t grow these mushrooms or are based in countries where Porcini mushrooms aren’t quite common, opt to buy dried mushrooms online on websites that cater to Italian food lovers by sourcing from Italy. 

A True Treat

Porcini mushrooms, although are found in the wilderness, they aren’t cultivated as a result of their mycorrhizal nature. They can only grow in symbiosis with the roots of the surrounding plants, and this relationship can’t be duplicated quite easily. They are only easily partnered with pine, chestnut, spruce forests, and hemlock, which covers most of the central and northern parts of Italy. Restaurants, therefore, source their Porcini mushrooms carefully from these forests and make them available to you as dry porcini mushrooms. 

Procuring Porcini

The best place to experience porcini is while on your visits to Italy. However, if you are far from Italy, given time and financial constraints, the best way to experience these fresh porcini is by tucking down into one’s pockets and making your way to the best Italian food online stores that cater to everyone with dry porcini mushrooms. They can be paired with risotto, tagliatelle, and red wine is also grown in the valleys of Italy. 

Make sure to purchase these foraged mushrooms from reliable sources rather than get yourself food poisoning. Although the roads may be filled with restaurants claiming they serve porcini mushrooms, the truth is that these mushrooms can look awfully similar to some related species, which are exclusively toxic, making one risk more than required. 

While choosing porcini mushrooms for yourself, make sure to avoid all dark, soft, and spotted mushroom caps. They can be extremely toxic. For those that cannot find live mushrooms, make sure to pick up a bag or two of dried mushrooms that you can tuck away immediately. 

The Best Way to Prepare Porcini

The best way to use any dry porcini mushrooms is to let them cook away in a covered and booking water, and let them soften. They can be consumed with sauces and soups, sliced, grilled, and roasted. However, the best way is to boil them.