Make Lobster Mushrooms Your Catch-Of-The-Day

When it comes to truly unique mushroom species, the lobster mushroom may take the top prize. The lobster mushroom is named for its brilliant red color, similar to a cooked lobster. But that’s not the mushroom’s natural color.

And it’s not what makes it so exceptional.

What makes the lobster mushroom so unique is that the red color is not actually from the mushroom, but from a parasite on the mushroom.

Let’s take a look at this special fungus and find out if indeed, there are mushrooms that taste like lobster.

What is a Lobster Mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum)?

The lobster mushroom is actually a white mushroom with a parasite on it that forms an orange or red crust. The crust covers the mushroom and distorts it. Usually the original mushroom that falls “victim” to the parasite is the short-stalked russula mushroom, also known as the stubby brittlegill or Russula brevipes.

The second fungus that grows onto and into the mushroom is a parasitic fungus called Hypomyces lactifluorum. By the time the parasite has coated the mushroom, the russula no longer looks anything at all like a russula. The crust is a yellow-orange to reddish orange color when it’s young and fresh, and then turns to a magenta or purple blotchy color when it ages.

The surface of the mushroom also gets rough or pimply texture because of what’s known as fruit bodies from the parasite. They get embedded in the crust and sometimes turn a darker shade than the flesh around them. When you cut into a lobster mushroom, the internal flesh is white.

The other mushroom that can be a host for the parasite is Lactarius piperatus.

Like This Article? Pin it on Pinterest

Can You Eat Lobster Mushrooms?

The question of “is it safe to eat lobster mushrooms” constantly comes up and the answer is both the parasite and the two possible types of hosts are edible, making both combinations edible.

In the instance where the parasite attaches to Lactarius piperatus, it actually makes the mushroom less spicy.

In the more common instance where it attaches to a russula, the resulting lobster mushroom is a tasty treat if you harvest them at the right time. It’s important to be sure you get them when they are still young, with a yellow-to-dark orange color. They should be cooked before eating.

Lobster mushrooms are relatively mild, and are high in fatty acids and amino acids, when compared with a russula mushrooms. That may contribute to the better flavor of a lobster mushroom. The uninfected russula is characterized by a bland or bitter flavor, and is basically inedible until it’s transformed into a lobster mushrooms by the Hypomyces lactifluorum parasite.

In fact, scientific evidence shows that the parasite doesn’t just coat the host mushroom – it actually alters its biochemistry, actually making it edible.

A clinical study compared the DNA from the parasitic mushrooms, which are edible, to that of non-infected mushrooms, which are bitter and non-edible. The “infected” lobster mushroom mostly contained the DNA of the parasitic fungus, which completely alters the metabolites in its host. Metabolites help determine how mushrooms look and taste, and whether they can be eaten.

For instance, a small chemical product known as terpenes is absent from those mushrooms infected by the parasite. The study speculated that the terpenes create a pungent and bitter taste, and the parasite converts those into more flavorful compounds. That’s why these mushrooms taste better than the host alone.

However, these particular mushrooms should not be eaten once they age. That’s when they turn purple, get soft, or develop a fishy odor. And it’s notable that some people do get sick from eating lobster mushrooms even when they are young enough to be safe to eat. It’s best to sample them in moderation at first, to be sure you don’t have an allergy or sensitivity.

It isn’t known if the parasite can attack a toxic species of mushrooms, and it isn’t always possible to tell the variety of the host mushroom. But lobster mushrooms are popular to eat with no known record of poisoning.

Where Do You Find These Mushrooms?

Russula mushrooms often develop under masses of conifer needles or leaves of broadleaved trees. They typically fruit from summer to autumn. The lobster mushroom appears in the same habitat as either one of its host species, and foragers report that it is often found when looking for chanterelles.

You’ll identify a lobster mushroom by its hard exterior that is red or orange colored and often has pimple-like structures. The interior flesh is usually white or reddish and very dense and the cap is often cracked. Since the host can be one of at least two varieties, and the parasite deforms the host, the shape of a lobster mushroom can vary. Even though its shape can fluctuate, once a forager finds one, they describe it as unmistakable.

As always, it’s best to consult a professional when you find any type of wild mushroom, to be on the safe side before eating it.

You can also purchase lobster mushrooms, although they are harder to find than other varieties of mushrooms.

How Do You Cook Lobster Mushrooms?

Those who eat lobster mushrooms describe them as nutty, with a sweet smell and a distinctive taste. Some even describe the flavor as being lobster-like or tasting like seafood.

For this reason, they are used as a seafood substitute or used with seafood in soups and other dishes. Their slightly salty-sweet taste is also ideal used in stir-fries, stews, and egg dishes.

To prepare sautéed lobster mushrooms, cook them in butter ensuring space between the mushrooms so they can get brown and crispy. Be sure when washing them that you don’t use too much water, as mushrooms absorb water easily and release water when cooking. Note that lobster mushrooms may take longer to cook than other typical mushrooms and will stay firm throughout this process.

You can then eat them as a side dish, or add them to dishes such as pasta or stir-fry.  Check out the Mushroom Health Guide’s recipe for Lobster Mushroom Risotto at the end of this article below.

What Are the Health Benefits of Lobster Mushrooms?

Lobster isn’t well known as a medicinal mushroom, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have health benefits. As with any mushroom, it is considered a healthy food. These particular mushrooms are a good source of Vitamin D, iron and calcium, and have a small amount of dietary fiber and protein. As with other mushrooms, it has little sugar or fat which makes it a healthy way to add flavor to dishes.

It’s likely that lobster mushrooms share the health properties present in other mushrooms, like antioxidants and other disease-fighting properties. That’s because lobster mushrooms have vitamins A, B-complex and C, which helps to boost and support the immune system; and they are rich in an amino acid that serves as a strong antioxidant and provides a significant boost to the immune system.

Where to Buy?

1) At D’Artagnan, they specialize in meat and poultry sustainably raised, and mushrooms, both cultivated and wild. Fresh Lobster mushrooms, wild foraged in the USA, is hard-to-find and available seasonally. Extremely delicate in flavor and meaty in texture, it is actually not a mushroom at all, but rather is a parasitic fungi that engulfs other mushrooms. Available only in mid-summer, the lobster mushroom has a slightly salty-sweet taste that goes well with stir-fries, soups, stews, terrines, and egg dishes.

2) Mikuni Wild Harvest. Field fresh direct deliver with an unparalleled selection and desire to deliver, Mikuni Wild Harvest is the best option for seasonal, fresh wild mushrooms. Foraged wild mushrooms are among the most prized and coveted ingredients by chefs and gourmets. They are also hard to find, mushroom foragers are notoriously secretive when it comes to their hunting spots.

3) At Marx Foods, fresh wild lobster mushrooms are available for purchase as well as tips on how to store your mushrooms and mushroom recipes.

4) Available at Earthty, dried lobster mushrooms are very convenient to have on hand whenever you want to perk up a favorite recipe or try something completely new and different.

5) Check out Spice Jungle’s collection of bulk dried and dehydrated mushrooms for sale!

The thought of a parasite inside a mushroom may sound unappetizing or even unhealthy, but lobster mushrooms are anything but. In fact, the parasite changes the chemistry of an otherwise bitter and inedible mushroom into a tasty addition to soups, stews and other meals.

And combined with a unique color and the health benefits contained in many mushrooms, it’s worth making lobster mushrooms your catch-of-the-day.

Mushroom Recipe