Wenceslas, a hidden threat to tree hosts, but a delicious delicacy on the plate! Read more about them

Wenceslas, or forest giant, who is capable of destroying entire groves!

What is this mushroom, how does it look and taste?

In the following article, you will learn all the important information that will help you to recognize it and, finally, to cook it perfectly!

What is a hangover?

Most often you will see them in a group, which will significantly peek out from the ground. Their height is on average around 15 cm.

This type of mushroom is actually the largest living organism in the world. What you see is only a very small part of the actual size of the mushroom, as the rest is hidden underground.

Wenceslas grow mainly in spring and have yellow-brown to honey-colored hats with a unique white ring around the leg.

This fungus is responsible for the death of many trees because its rhizomes get under the bark and wrap around their roots, suffocating them. It is actually a tree parasite and killer.

What do wobblers look like?

1. The hat is in the color of honey, ocher or light brown
2. The scales are white in young mushrooms, changing to yellow to brown over time
3. The leg is thick, scaly, white to yellowish brown
4. The ring is usually placed very high on the leg and may look like a double with yellow edges
5. Mushrooms grow in large clusters on the trunks, stumps or dead wood of many different trees, but can also be found in grass
6. They have a specific, slightly unpleasant smell, which disappears after heat treatment
7. An important piece of information is that ALL types of václavka are edible after thorough heat treatment
8. You can do a spore test to be absolutely sure. Simply separate the leg from the mushroom hat and place the hat skin side down on a piece of black paper or other dark colored paper. Lift the hat and you will see the spores, which should be white. If the color of the spores is rusty brown, it may be a very poisonous conifer cap.

How do the waffles taste?

Raw mushrooms are sour and bitter, but after cooking they acquire a slightly sweet taste. Their odor, which is unpleasant for some, disappears after heat treatment.

Types of vacclavs

Václavka Smrkova

1. It grows in large clumps, on the dead wood of conifers
2. The hat is purplish, sometimes flesh pink
3. The scales are white or cream, in older mushrooms sometimes spotted with rust
4. The leg is large, firm and fleshy, on which is placed a ring of white, later red color
5. The pith is unchanged and has a pleasant mushroom smell and taste
6. This is a delicious edible mushroom. However, it is necessary to heat them for at least 20-25 minutes before consuming them. They are best in pickles or stews
7. They are poisonous when raw and can cause stomach upset

Common wenceslas

1. It grows in large clusters in autumn, especially on the dead wood of deciduous trees
2. The hat is honey-colored, later it turns yellow to brown
3. The petals can be cream to yellow in color, which will darken towards the edges
4. The leg can also be pinkish, but the usual color is yellow. There is also a whitish and membranous ring with a yellow border on the leg
5. The aroma of this václavka is compared to a maturing Camembert cheese
6. It is an edible mushroom that requires a minimum of 30 minutes of heat treatment, after which it can be used in pickles or soups

How to prepare václavky?

Roasted honey dumplings

Ingredients

1. 500 g of puff pastry
2. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
3. 2 tablespoons of butter
4. 1 teaspoon of honey
5. 1 shallot, minced
6. 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
7. 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
8. 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
9. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
10. ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt

Method

1. Dip a paper towel in cold water and carefully wipe the dirt from the mushroom caps
2. Use the young mushroom legs, but discard the stringy old ones (or keep them for stock)
3. Leave the smaller mushrooms whole and cut the larger ones in half
4. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, butter, and honey
5. Add chopped shallot and garlic
6. Saute shallot and garlic for 5 minutes
7. Add the mushrooms
8. Toss the mushrooms to coat each piece in the butter and oil mixture
9. Saute the mushrooms for 10 minutes
10. Add fresh thyme, rosemary and black pepper
11. Saute the mushrooms for another 5 minutes
12. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and garnish with coarse sea salt
13. Serve the mushrooms hot

Storage

You can pickle Wenceslas mushrooms in a sweet and sour pickle, which you can make according to our delicious recipe for preserving mushrooms .

You can dry them, which is a great way to preserve them for wintertime cooking. Dry them at a low temperature until the mushrooms are tender. It takes about 8 hours.

Another method is to cook the mushrooms and then freeze them.