the.com/cauliflower fungus
A frilly brain-shaped fungus that's gourmet edible if you can wash the forest out of it.
means An edible woodland fungus (genus Sparassis) that grows in large, ruffled, cream-colored masses resembling a cauliflower head or a folded brain, usually found at the base of conifers.
from A plain descriptive name, English through and through: 'cauliflower' comes from the Latin 'caulis' (cabbage or stem) joined to 'flower,' since the vegetable looks like a flowering cabbage — and the mushroom simply borrowed that look. 'Fungus' is Latin for mushroom, possibly a cousin of the Greek 'sphongos,' sponge. So the whole name just points at the thing and says: it looks like a cauliflower, and it's a fungus.
- latin name
- Sparassis crispa, the ruffled forest dweller
- the host
- Grows from conifer roots and stumps
- the size
- Single specimens can weigh several kilograms
- cleaning hell
- Crevices trap dirt, bugs, and pine debris
- prized taste
- Nutty, noodle-like texture chefs actually chase
sparassis crispa — european cauliflower fungus found in coniferous forests, edible delicacy in japan and korea
sparassis latifolia — north american species, larger than s. crispa, grows on oak and pine stumps