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    Home » Wild Mushroom Recipes

    Cauliflower Mushrooms or Sparassis: The Noodle Fungus

    Published: Feb 19, 2016 Modified: Mar 31, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

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    Cauliflower mushrooms are one of the most delicious wild mushrooms you can hunt. They're a large and easy to identify, choice edible species, the only problem is finding them.

    Cauliflower mushroom or Sparassis Crispa

    No matter if you live in The Pacific Northwest or South Carolina, one thing remains the same: these aren't a mushroom you'll find every day.

    dirty cauliflower mushroom or sparassis crispa
    A nice handful. This is a small specimen.

    Unfortunately for me, these are extremely rare in the Midwest, and I've only heard of a handful of instances of foragers coming across them-twice in Wisconsin and once in Minnesota, to be exact. Thankfully I have friends who take me out when I travel. 

    Identification

    A number of sparassis species grow in the United States: Sparassis crispa and Sparassis radicata on the west coast, and Sparassis spathulata and americana on the East Coast. I've eaten s. radicata, s. crispa and s. americana, and they're delicious and interchangeable in recipes. In Europe, they have Sparassis brevipes.

    Quick ID Tips

    • Mostly I see these growing with pine trees and pine stumps
    • The fruiting bodies look like head of cauliflower with a color that can range from pure white to light brown.
    • Just like hen of the woods, they'll only grow at the base of the tree, never from the trunk.
    • They have a white spore print
    Cauliflower mushrooms or Sparassis crispa

    Hunting

    All of these mushrooms can grow on both deciduous and coniferous trees, but I see the most cauliflower mushrooms being harvested growing with pines, where they typically grow over the roots of coniferous trees. Like their polypore cousins (with the exception of hens), these are also impossible to grow, at least at the time of this writing.

    Close up of a cauliflower mushroom or sparassis crispa
    After a day or two in the fridge the edges will dry and darken.

    Like their cousins, the hen of the woods and chicken of the woods, cauliflower mushrooms are saprobic parasites of trees that cause a brown rot in the host, so looking for woods with damaged trees or stumps can be a good bet. One of my friends swears by Scots pine. 

    If they don't grow near you, the good thing is that these are sold commercially. West Coast Wild Foods sends me some occasionally, and you can order large or small amounts during Autumn. 

    Cooking

    First you'll want to clean the mushrooms. It can be easy, or difficult depending on how they grow. As cauliflower fungus are kind of loose and open, it's harder for debris to get stuck inside them, but you will want to check them over for pine needles and the occasional insect.

    pine needles inside a cauliflower mushroom / sparassis crispa
    The nooks and cranny's are perfect for catching debris.

    Here's what I do: tear the mushroom into bite-sized pieces the size of cauliflower florets, swish them in a big bowl of cold water if needed, then put them, laid out on paper towels to dry.

    Once the mushrooms are dry, put them into a zip-top bag with a fresh paper towel and refrigerate them. Fresh and clean, they'll last for 4-5 days or longer in the fridge-less if they contain bugs.

    Steamed cauliflower mushrooms with ponzu recipe
    Broken into bite-sized pieces and steamed, these can make a great appetizer.

    Worms and insects

    Even very young, perfect mushrooms often have insect larvae that resemble maggots inside them, and the longer they stay in the fridge, the more the bugs will eat and grow in size.

    weighing cauliflower mushrooms on an antique scale
    These can be large mushrooms.

    To check for bugs, inspect the base of the mushroom where it attaches to the ground for holes, and cut away any brown or discolored portions with visible tunneling before bringing them home.

    Cauliflower mushrooms torn in half to show the interior structure.
    Open the mushrooms to inspect the inside for bugs, which can shorten the shelf life. 

    General Tips

    These are a fleshy fungi with a unique shape and texture some people will call "noodly". Since they have a similar texture to al dente egg noodles, one of my favorite things is to mix them with small pasta. Farfalle is one of the best. Some people use them like a low-carb pasta.

    Cooking cauliflower mushrooms
    Adding some fresh thyme and a crushed clove of garlic to the pan while the mushrooms cook is a good option if you can.

    For a simple side dish, heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil, then add the mushrooms cook for a bit until they release their water, then add kosher salt and pepper and cook until they're golden brown. Simple can be ok.

    If it's your first time eating, make sure to taste a small amount to make sure you don't have an allergy, as with eating any new mushroom. 

    Cauliflower mushroom cooking over medium-low heat to remove the water before browning.

    Lots of moisture

    These mushrooms contain a lot of water. Quick-cooking or dry-sauteing can work. If you stir-fry them or cook too fast, you can end of with a puddle of water on your plate-just ask the chef who lost to me in a T.V. competition 🙂

    Cauliflower Mushrooms or sparassis crispa

    Recipes

    Over the years I've made some awesome stuff with these mushrooms. Here's a few of my favorite cauliflower mushroom recipes.

    While they're one of the ultimate soup mushrooms, I'd try my cauliflower steaks if it's your first time, or if you need a new recipe. Simple ingredients are the best.

    Cauliflower Mushroom Steaks

    This is a great way to cook these. Just like hen of the woods, you can cook big chunks of these like a piece of meat. There's a little technique involved (a double-cooking process) but it's easy, and the results will blow you away.

    Cauliflower mushroom steak recipe with caper pan sauce and romanesco

    Cauliflower Mushrooms with Farfalle

    Mushrooms with a white wine sauce, a good amount of butter and herbs mixed with a pasta of a similar shape for a contrast in texture. This is a versatile dish you can tweak with whatever you have around.

    Cauliflower mushrooms with dandelion farfalle

    Cauliflower Mushroom and Cabbage Gratin

    A reader favorite. Sparassis cooked and mixed with tender cabbage, baked with cheese and topped with breadcrumbs and a little butter for an easy side dish or vegetarian entrée. Just add a green salad and fresh ground black pepper.

    Cauliflower mushroom gratin

    White Risotto with Cauliflower Mushroom Ragu

    A simple Italian-style dish of simple white risotto, topped with a juicy mushroom ragu. You can substitute a lot of different mushrooms here, too. This is a good side dish or vegetarian entrée.

    White risotto with cauliflower mushroom ragu

    Steamed Cauliflower Mushrooms with Ponzu

    Inspired by Japanese cooking. Since these mushrooms are delicate, steaming them is another good option to consider, especially if you're tired of butter, cream and cheese.

    Steamed cauliflower mushrooms with ponzu recipe

    Tear the mushrooms into small pieces dipped in a zippy ponzu sauce is the perfect thing for when you don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and want something light and fresh.

    More 

    35 Essential Wild Mushrooms Every Forager Should Know 

    References

    • Mushroom Expert: Genus Sparassis
    • Mushrooms Demystified
    • 100 Edible Mushrooms
    « Fresh Pasta with Beef and Dried Morel Ragu
    Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream with Coffee Chocolate Sauce »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. j

      April 15, 2025 at 9:26 am

      The one your competitor's teammate found in your episode of chef vs. wild looked so incredibly delicious... Makes me really want to find some of this to experiment with.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        April 15, 2025 at 9:28 am

        Hey glad you were able to watch that. It was a pretty mushroom. If you look closely at the final dinner you’ll see where she got dinged by the judges a bit, mushrooms hold lots of water, and she didn’t fully cook it off so when it was plated the water weeped all over the plate and diluted the sauce. Details.

        Reply
        • J

          April 23, 2025 at 10:13 pm

          Oh man, that's funny--I wouldn't have ever noticed. The place it looked particularly delicious to me was where her partner found it and immediately took a big bite out of it.
          It was a great episode! I wish that show had some more seasons

          Reply
    2. Karen

      October 28, 2024 at 12:06 am

      Any thoughts on how these would do dehydrated? I found FIVE of them - all large and in beautiful shape - this weekend, and while I ate some, I'm looking for ideas for longer storage. Would be awesome if they could be rehydrated like a noodle, but they have such a lovely texture that I would hate to lose in the process. Thanks in advance!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        November 01, 2024 at 10:49 am

        It can work but they're a little tougher. Yes they need to be rehydrated.

        Reply
    3. Anahi

      January 05, 2024 at 9:06 pm

      I found my first one today. I am looking forward to cooking tomorrow! Thanks Alan for your help.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        January 06, 2024 at 10:41 am

        Thanks Anahi. Happy to help.

        Reply
    4. Debbie Shell

      December 11, 2023 at 2:20 pm

      Would sparassis be good in a butter/cream cheese pastry dough? (James Beard recipe for mushroom stuffed turnovers)

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        December 13, 2023 at 9:40 am

        They have a mild flavor. I'd use something stronger for fillings like a blend of dried mushrooms, personally.

        Reply
    5. Elisia

      October 19, 2023 at 12:43 pm

      How do you recommend preserving these?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 21, 2023 at 8:32 am

        Sweat them in butter, cool, portion into quart zip locs, then put the quart zip locs into a vacuum bag. Or just use the zip locs.

        Reply
    6. Mark W

      October 09, 2023 at 6:40 pm

      I just found one today at a park I walk my dogs on everyday, in fact have seen this very tree the shroom was parked under, for many years. Today i happened to notice the mushroom at the base of this giant oak between 2 protruding roots, took a snapshot with my phone to Google search it. Had not heard of them before, and never lucky enough to find Morels... I'm going to eat nicely tonight! Thanks for the tips!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        October 11, 2023 at 2:29 am

        You’re welcome

        Reply
      • Steve Matthews

        December 23, 2023 at 10:30 pm

        but they grow on pines?

        Reply
      • Joanie Hendricks

        November 14, 2024 at 10:32 pm

        5 stars
        We are lucky to have a Douglas-fir stump that usually gives us two cauliflower mushrooms every fall. Finally, it fruited this year! I’ve made the “steaks” before, but tonight I made the gratin recipe because I had a pound of chopped cabbage in the refrigerator already. It was delicious! I try to grow most everything we eat, and this recipe used everything I had. Butter and cheese were from the grocery store. I’ll use some for a noodle type dish and cook and freeze the rest to combine with other mushrooms I’ve saved this fall. Thank you for your recipes.

        Reply
        • Alan Bergo

          November 14, 2024 at 10:34 pm

          Thanks Joanie. Glad you liked it!

          Reply
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    Chef Alan Bergo

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