Vårfagerhatt

Over the last few weeks we have been picking a lot of vårfagerhatt (Calocybe gambosa). Not necessarily because we have been specifically looking for it.. but rather because they are around in massive numbers. Right now there are countless of these pretty white hats lining the edges of parks and forests both in the city and on the islands. This is both happy and sad, as their bounty is in stark contrast to the number of morels we've come across so far.

Known in England as the St. George's mushroom, these little guys are fairly easy to identify due to their distinctly mealy smell. In all the Norwegian guidebooks their odor is likened to flour (mel) but I personally find it even more specific, perhaps even a bit sweet. The mushrooms themselves have smooth creamy white caps with thick ringless stems slightly fatter right towards the bottom. Also: white gills that do not change color or bruise when cut through / insides that are perfectly white and firm. They tend to grow in large numbers around leafy trees, in fairy rings.

They only come in the spring: around May to July here in Scandinavia. Their closest poisonous lookalike is the Livid Pinkgill / Rødskivesopp (Entoloma sinuatum) which can easily be distinguished by examining the gills. On older mushrooms they are pink and even red. Younger ones will bruise from yellowish white to pink when cut in half. They also don't smell very much and pop up slightly later on the scene.

A tight cluster of young mushrooms pushing their way through the forest debris

A tiny specimen with a characteristically fat and rounded stalk

So, more importantly: what do they taste like?

When they are small they have a very pleasant mild, crisp taste and firm texture. Easily better than store bought button mushrooms, in my humble opinion. When bigger, their taste becomes more concentrated and distinct. They can be used just like button mushroom in any recipe. So far we have put them on pizza, made soppstuing (a creamy mushroom stew-gravy-side-thing), and cooked them Asian-style with soy, sesame, and sugar.

The other day Rolf cooked a big pile and noticed something interesting. First he sliced all the mushrooms up and cooked them down with neutral oil in a frying pan. After awhile the mushrooms, especially the larger specimens, started spontaneously caramelizing. I tried one at this stage and found it surprisingly sweet but also a little bitter for my taste. The bitterness went away once he added salt to the mix, though.

Now we are a household divided: I prefer the little ones and he, the mature. He likes how complex and unique they taste. But something about the older ones reminds me of that smell drying porcini get when using an oven on very low heat. It's good but a little sickly.