Navigating the mushroom maze: Safely distinguishing red boletes

The mushroom season is slowly winding down, so now is a great time to prepare your small knife, basket, and high boots. A walk in the forest is excellent for sharpening your observation skills. When you find an interesting mushroom, grab your camera and take a picture. Avoid taking it home, as it could result in a hefty fine. Mistaking it for an edible mushroom is easy, but a simple trick can help you tell them apart.

Even experienced mushroom pickers can make mistakes, so stay alert while gathering forest treasures and never put any specimens in your basket unless you are 100% sure about them. This is the most basic and crucial rule that must be strictly followed.

During forest walks, with a bit of luck, you might come across a red boletus. Some people immediately assume it is a poisonous mushroom because of its colour. Its cap, with a suede-like surface, ranges from brown to dark red, and the tubes under the cap are an intense red. The mushroom's stem is yellow and covered with red tufts, giving it a distinctive look. It is called the aristocrat among mushrooms, a fitting name since finding it is quite challenging.

It is classified as a summer mushroom because it appears most often from May to October. You usually find it in coniferous forests, especially under spruces and firs. The peak season is from late August to early September. It is a delicious and valued mushroom in the kitchen but requires proper processing.

A mushroom similar to the red porous bolete is Satan's bolete. At first glance, they look similar, but before you enthusiastically take home such a rare specimen, pay attention to the details.

First, check the colour of the pores under the cap—in the red porous bolete, they are brick red (as the name suggests), while in Satan's bolete, they are more yellowish. Additionally, Satan's bolete has a characteristic net-like pattern on the stem, which is missing in the red porous bolete.

A distinctive feature of the red porous bolete is its fast and intense reaction to damage. The mushroom's flesh almost immediately turns an intense blue. In the case of Satan's bolete, the bluing is much weaker and slower.

- An inexperienced mushroom picker has as much chance of finding a Satan's bolete as winning a million in the lottery. Satan's boletes are not common and grow in specific environments. The red porous bolete mainly grows in coniferous forests; you won't find a Satan's bolete there - emphasizes mycologist in an interview with Interia.

Also, remember that Satan’s bolete is very rare and protected, so if you come across it, it's best to take a picture and leave it alone. In case of doubt, it's always advisable to use verified mushroom atlases and consult an expert at a health station.

The above descriptions are for guidance only and cannot be used for independent, specific identification of mushroom species. Differences between species can be subtle and require experience and specialized knowledge.