Cart
0
kr 0.00
The blusher - Amanita rubescens
12/01/2025
The Blusher (Amanita Rubescens) is a valued find here in Northern Norway. Not as common as the well known Fly Agaric or other Amanita relatives but The Blusher is quite beautiful in its own way, and even better, it is safe and very good to eat. As long as you know what you are doing of course. Let's get into it, shall we?
We have approximately 50 different Amanita species in Norway (the official number was 49 in 2024 based on the catalogue "Normlisten" from The Norwegian association for mycology and foraging. Amanitas are a fascinating and unique group of mushrooms. It includes deadly, poisonous, toxic, safe and edible ones. Please note! All Amanitas are poisonous when raw (there might be one exception, but don't count on it).
In Northern Norway we only have one deadly species, White Fly Agaric (Amanita Virosa) but we do have a few of the poisonous and toxic ones like the common Red Fly Agaric (Amanita Muscaria) and the The Grey Veiled Agaric (Amanita Porphyria)
Please note! This page is for inspiration and educational purposes. It describes general characteristics of the species and photographed individuals. It can NOT be used to make safe identifications of the mushrooms you pick. Please get a local mushroom expert to have a look at them. If you are close, I will be happy to assist you.
Identifying of The Blusher:
Cap: The size can vary quite a bit but generally The Blusher is a large mushroom. 5 - 20 cm across the cap. The shape is round, like a ball, but as it gets older it flattens out until it's all flat on top, like a pancake. The colour can also vary a lot, from almost white to brownish-red. It blushes when handled. You can also find white flakes or dots on it, these can easily be removed and will wash away from rain or wind so you will often find mushrooms without them.The Gills: Are free, meaning they don't grow into the stem. They are white in colour. all Amanitas have white gills but exceptionally on The Rubescens they can get pink or redish marks.
The Stem: 5-15 cm tall and 1-3 cm across. Like the cap, it blushes when handled. Pay especially close attention to the skirt (the ring on the stem) it should always have distinct stripes. If the stripes are not there, it's not the Blusher. The base of the stem is also important it's bulbous with soft scales, but it also gets slightly narrower at the very bottom. It is important to dig a little bit and make sure you get the whole mushroom to make a safe identification of Amaritas.
Spores: White. Can be hard to spot on young individuals. On older mushrooms you might se white powder beneath them on twigs or plants. It is always recommended to take a spore sample. This can be easily done by placing the mushroom on a dark surface, leave it there for a couple of hours. When you pick up the mushroom you will find a pattern from the spores on the paper.
The Blusher is known for its beefy, wonderful taste. But it's important to fry on medium to high heat for 15 minutes to make sure all toxins are gone. If you don't you'll get sick with diarrhoea, vomit and cramps. It will pass and you will get perfectly fine again.