Carob Mushroom picking

It is a delicious mushroom and - unfortunately - very rare. It is almost never mentioned in the "sacred texts" of mycology, though it is similar to the "fistulinacia hepatica" that always comes on the wood of the carob trees.
It looks like a shapeless mass, compact, whitish, which can weigh more than 1 kg at maturity (a few days, 2 or 3 days after onset) takes on a yellowish color with streaks rosalatteo. This fungus - because of its rarity - is not big business. If you do not collect personally find it only at a very prohibitive price. Generally this is offered by the rarity of nature to a lucky discoverer (the farmer often even spend the night under the tree for several days, doing sentinel) to anyone who wants to make a gift of the priced mushroom.

The taste of this fungus is quite different from that of all other fungi: is closer to the flavor of pork tenderloin, which has the consistency.

It's available in the few oases where the carob tree still grows, the tree symbol Iblei Mountains. It grows almost exclusively in the provinces of Ragusa and Siracusa, and partly in the Municipality of Caltagirone, it is these areas to have the primacy of national production by 87% locust bean.

The scientific name of this fungus is "laetiporus sulphureus." It grows on other trees, large trees (eucalyptus, for example, or some conifers), but only what grows on the trunk of carob and almond trees is edible because the sap that flows in these trees is sweet.
In cooking, its prepared as taught by centuries of our housewives, is stewed with onion and tomato extract, or stew with garlic, olive oil, parsley and fresh tomato slices. But I want to give you specific recommendations, if by chance you have gathered the fungus is already a bit '"past" and its flesh, while full and compact, has become a little' wood, cut into thin slices, let it marinate one hour in water and lemon juice (or vinegar) and cook like a normal steak. It will be the best!

carob mushroom "laetiporus sulphureus"
carob mushroom "laetiporus sulphureus"
carob mushroom "laetiporus sulphureus"
carob mushroom "laetiporus sulphureus"