Wild Food Guide — 'U'

This is the description page for Fairy Ring Champignon (Marasmius oreades) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the wild foodstuff: Fairy Ring Champignon.

The Fairy Ring Champignon, Marasmius oreades (also known as Scotch Bonnet and Fairy Ring Mushroom), is a species of saprobic (survives by docomposing dead or decaying organic material) fungi and is a member of the Marasmiaceae (champignon) family of Basidiomycota (that typically reproduce sexually using wind-bourne spores) fungi that have white spore prints. They prefer well-trimmed grassland and are often found in gardens. It is a commonly found in Europe and North America but grows worldwide. In warmer climes it can be found world-wide and typically friuts initially in May and June and then again in August, September and October. Though not large they can be collected in large numbers and provide flavour to soups and setws. They are also ideal for drying and re-constitiute in water particularly well.

Fairy Ring Champignons can be somewhat variable in appearance and tend to grow in troops, arcs, or rings (these rings allow the grass to grow and become greener and often Fairy Ring Champignons can be found because of the grass rig). Note, however, that similar species also grow in rings and this is not a distinguishing feature (despite the common names). The cap is typically 1–5 cm across; bell-shaped with a somewhat inrolled margin at first, becoming broadly convex with an even or uplifted margin, but often retaining a slight central bump; dry; smooth; pale tan or buff, occasionally white, or reddish tan; usually changing color markedly as it dries out; the margin sometimes faintly lined. The gils are white or pale tan, separated and can either be attached to the stem or distant from it. The spore print is white and the fungus typically has a 'nutty' scent with an overlay of sawdust or freshly-mown grass. The stipe (stem) is white or buff, some 2–8 cm long and 2–6mm thick. It is dry, tought and pliant and should be discarded before eating.

Early in the season Fair Ring Champignons can be readily picked. But from mid summer to late autumn care should be taked not to confuse with two poisionous species: Clitocybe dealbata (Ivory Clitocybe) and Clitocybe rivulosa both of which can grow in rings and may sometimes grow amongst Fairy Ring Champignons. Both these spiecies can be distinguished by their caps which are convex or flat (never bell-shaped) and have stiff and non-pliable stems. The spore-print of both species is white, like the Fairy Ring Champignon and the clour tends to vary from white through flesh tone to ochre. Clitocybe dealbata has a distinctive mealy scent whilst Clitocybe rivulosa either has a slight sweet not to its smell or has no smell at all. If the mushroom has no umbo (nipple-like potrusion at the centre) then discard as being suspect.

Its firm texture makes the Fairy Ring Champignon excellent for pickling and preserving by drying it also makes an excellent mushroom powder if dried and ground. It has an unusually high concentration of the mushroom sugar trehalose which means that dried Fairy Ring Champignons re-constitute perfectly in water. This mushroom is excellent in soups and stews and also makes a rather good omelette.

Fairy Ring Champignon Omelette
Cobnut and Fairy Ring Mushroom Quiche
Fairy Ring Champignon Soup
Pilaf Rice with Fairy Ring Champignons
Mushroom Pickle