Food morel

The Food morel, also Round morel called, is a popular edible mushroom from the family of morel relatives. In spring, the fungus forms the fruiting body with a characteristic yellowish to grayish-brown hat with a honeycomb structure and belongs to the large group of ashlar mushrooms. The food morel contains a special, non-proteinogenic, amino acid and polysaccharide with immune-strengthening and immunomodulating properties.

What you should know about the table morel

The table morel, which is also known as round morel depending on the region, is a popular edible mushroom because of its pleasant smell and aromatic taste. However, the surface of the fruiting body contains the poison hydrazine, which can cause digestive problems. The poison is rendered harmless by blanching and cooking.

The table morel forms in spring from March to May, sometimes even until June, a spongy, whitish to greyish fruit body and a hat up to 12 cm high with a coarse, honeycomb structure. The fruit body and cap are hollow on the inside, and the stalk has a slightly crumbling consistency. The surface of the hat is yellowish to brownish in color. There is a possibility of confusion with the poisonous spring lobster, which contains the mushroom poison gyromitrin, which can lead to headaches, nausea and liver failure with fatal outcome. The hat of the spring lobster does not show the typical honeycomb structure of the morel, but an irregular structure that is reminiscent of brain convolutions.

If there is uncertainty about the assignment, a longitudinal section through the fungus can provide clarity. A longitudinal section of the edible mochel shows that the stem and hat form a common cavity, while the Lorchel's stem and hat are divided into several chambers. The edible morel is found in Europe and North America and prefers humus-rich, calcareous soils. The fungus can be found most often under ash and elm trees, as well as in light deciduous forests and, for example, under fruit trees in orchards. The mushroom is also known in South American Brazil. No reliable knowledge is available about possible further areas of distribution.

However, it is very likely that it is also native to the Far East, because it is listed, for example, in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a medicinal mushroom for the treatment of indigestion and other symptoms and is also officially registered as a mushroom with medicinal effects in Nepal . In Germany, the table morel is even under nature protection and may only be collected in small quantities for personal consumption. Because of the high price, the mushroom is also grown commercially on a smaller scale, which is easily possible. Large-scale cultivation of the table morel has not yet been able to establish itself. In the food trade, the mushroom is usually offered in dried form.

Importance to health

It is not only the aromatic taste that makes the mushroom interesting for human consumption, but also its ingredients, some of which are relevant to health. A certain degree of caution is required in order to exclude possible health damage from the outset.

It is less about the possibility of confusion with the poisonous spring salmon, as described above, but rather that the raw morel is inedible and also contains the poisonous helvellic acid. The poison evaporates through heating and boiling, which can lead to severe digestive problems and abdominal pain. On the positive side, the table morel is a supplier of minerals such as potassium and magnesium and some vitamins, especially from the complex of B vitamins. A special substance is cis-3-amino-L-proline, an amino acid that is thought to be non-proteinogenic. It fulfills a variety of metabolic tasks, including splitting the double helix of genes.

The amino acid also plays an important role in the unfolding of collagen proteins. Collagen proteins are needed for the development of ligaments, connective tissue and bones. Certain polysaccharides, which the edible morel contain, are said to have immune-stimulating and immunomodulating properties. Immunomodulating means that the immune system is re-adjusted in its defense functions. This means that, for example, an allergic overreaction of the immune system can improve. Immunomodulation also means that harmful autoimmune reactions can improve.

Ingredients & nutritional values

The table morel is valued less for its primary nutrients than for its secondary plant substances. The dry matter of the fungus consists of around 20 percent proteins and valuable amino acids.

Another 70 percent of the dry matter consists of fiber and only about 5 percent of carbohydrates, so that the nutritional and calorific value of the fresh mushrooms is only 15 kilocalories per 100 grams. There is practically no fat. Morel is particularly rich in minerals such as iron, potassium and magnesium. Particularly noteworthy are their content of the amino acids arginine, lysine and especially glutamine and the content of immunostimulating and immunomodulating polysaccharides.

Intolerances & allergies

There are no known intolerances or allergies that are directly related to the table morel. Incompatibilities, or even symptoms of poisoning, are known in cases in which the mushroom was consumed raw or when an old morel, which was already decomposing, had joined the fresh mushrooms.

In contrast to the helvellic acid of fresh morel, which evaporates when heated and boiled, the toxin that can form in old mushrooms is heat-stable. Symptoms of poisoning caused by edible morel are known as Morchella syndrome.

Shopping & kitchen tips

Fresh morels are rarely found in grocery stores; the best time to get fresh morels is during the main harvest season, April and May. As an alternative to fresh morels, dried mushrooms are also offered, which swell almost to their original size after soaking and have lost none of their aroma.

The dried mushrooms can be used directly without boiling them, because the Helvellic acid has already evaporated during the drying process. The dried morels should be "powder dry" and not limp to be sure that no mold could creep in. Dried morel mushrooms are very expensive, so be careful with special offers because they are often inferior mu-err mushrooms from Eastern Europe, China or Turkey, which are edible but not comparable to morels. While the dried mushrooms can be stored for a long time in a cool and dark place, fresh morels can only be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. However, they are also good for freezing.

Preparation tips

The easiest way to handle and prepare dried table morels is. They just need to be soaked about an hour before using. The soaking water can even be used to prepare sauces.

In contrast, the water used to wash or pre-boil the fresh mushrooms should be discarded because it may contain helvellic acid. Morels go well with meat, but can also serve as a meat substitute in a vegetarian dish. The mushrooms are often used to prepare fine sauces and soups. Morels are also ideal for flavoring and refining pasta sauces.