Wood Blewit / Autumn / Edible
Welcome to a world of culinary delight as we celebrate the savory treasures of the Wood Blewit (Lepista nuda).
Join us on a journey where gastronomy meets indulgence. With its captivating lilac cap and delicate gills, the Wood Blewit stands as a true culinary gem.
Learn to identify its unique features, discover its preferred habitats, and delve into the culinary wonders it offers. From its tender texture to its delightful, earthy flavour, this mushroom has the power to elevate your culinary creations to extraordinary heights. Whether you are an experienced forager or an adventurous home cook, let the Wood Blewit inspire your culinary endeavours and tantalise your taste buds with its marvellous flavours.
Embrace the abundance of nature’s bounty as we celebrate the enchanting delights that lie within the Wood Blewit. Get ready to embark on a flavour-filled journey as we explore the captivating culinary possibilities offered by this remarkable fungus.
Common Names
Wood Blewit
Scientific name
Lepista Nuda
Family
Tricholomataceae
Habitat
Common throughout Britain and Ireland, Europe, North America. Grows often in rings on leaf litter
Description
Identifying features:
Cap:
Buff brown caps with a violet tinge, the surface of the cap is almost translucent and you can often see lines when maggots have nibbled the flesh, with age the cap can become wavy at the edge and funnel shaped.
Gills
The gills are a pale violet colour, crowded and sinuate.
Stem:
The stem often has a faint vertical striated pattern leading down to a bulbous base which has often got fluffy white mycelium attached.
Smell:
This mushroom has a slightly perfumed smell, like orange juice or bergamont.
Spores:
Pinkish-white spore print.
Known Hazards
Can cause gastric upset if not cooked
Potential lookalikes
Violet webcap which has the classic webbing that covers the immature gills and then holds remnants of the webbing on the stem, the spores of the Violet Webcap is also Rusty brown instead of whitish pink of the Wood Blewit
Uses
In food
Cooked well this mushroom is delicious going well with pasta, soups, stews etc.
Extra notes from the foragers
Lepista meaning goblet referring to the funnel shape of mature specimens, Nuda meaning naked.
This mushroom can occasionally be found all year round though most often November and December