Porcini are edible mushrooms.
In the vast culinary world of edible mushrooms, only one can be called king. What Italians affectionately call porcini (piglets) is the ruling class of mushrooms. The meat-like texture of porcini, along with their earthy and somewhat nutty flavor, is unequaled among mushrooms and lends itself to countless dishes. Porcini can be found the world over, however American consumers have yet to fully utilize them in all their forms, being mostly seen in the US dried. Nevertheless, there is much more to porcini mushrooms than the dried bags found at the supermarket, and while dried porcini are excellent, the king of mushrooms deserves more respect.
The underside of the cap is made up of a spongy material. Look closely; you'll see the tiny tubes from which spores are released. Species of the bolete genus have tubes instead of gills for spore dispersal. The spore print is a dark green-brown. Porcini are known for their thick stem. They form a mycorrhizal relationship with pine trees. Mycorrhizal fungi form beneficial, symbiotic relationships with the roots of plants. The plant gets better access to water and nutrients through the larger surface area of the fungal mycelia, and the fungus gets access to sugars that the plant produces.
Widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, Asia, and North America, it does not occur naturally in the Southern Hemisphere. Porcini mushrooms may grow a rather large cap, up to 12 inches in diameter. It's usually brown or reddish-brown with a slightly sticky texture.