• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Forager | Chef
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Interviews
  • Partnerships
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Interviews
    • Partnerships
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Types of Edible Wild Mushrooms

    Chestnut Mushroom

    Published: Feb 18, 2023 Modified: Mar 31, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    A deliciously chewy mushroom that's relatively new to mushroom cultivation, chestnut mushrooms are one of the few species of Pholiota that are safe to eat. If you're like me, once you taste their crunchy stems slurped up in a bowl of noodles you'll be hooked. In this post I'll go over their background, how to get your own, and the best ways to cook them.

    cluster of chestnut mushrooms or Pholiota adiposa
    Chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa).

    An Edible Pholiota

    A cousin of the popular wine cap in the Strophariaceae, chestnut mushrooms (Pholiota adiposa) are Native to Europe and might also be called cinnamon cap mushrooms. These are a parasitic, hardwood-loving species found growing in clusters on living trees and decaying or rotting wood. In Europe they're commonly associated with beech trees.

    Caps have triangular scales.
    The stems are scaly
    Gills and cap showing remnants of the cortina veil.

    They're one of a few species of edible pholiota, also known as scaly cap mushrooms. Two characteristics that always help me identify mushrooms in the Pholiota genus are the triangular, pointed scales on the cap and stems, and how they grow in tufts or clusters of mushrooms. Like enoki, in the wild they may have a slippery or slimy cap when wet.

    a cluster of chestnut mushrooms Pholiota adiposa
    Clustered growth and scaly caps are hallmarks of the Pholiotaceae.

    While some people claim to eat scaly caps like Pholiota squarrosa and Midwestern Squarossaroides, most wild pholiota are not recommended for the table and some cause reactions if eaten with alcohol.

    Wild Pholiota
    A common, non-edible Pholiota squarosoides that grows in the Midwest.

    The Importance of Latin Names

    Chestnut mushrooms are also the perfect example of why Latin names are important as there's many mushrooms that could go under the same common name. Brick caps, the common cremini, a small bolete, and plenty of others might be called chestnuts.

    Brick cap Hyphaloma lateritium (2)
    Brick caps (H. sublateritium)
    Gyroporus castaneus chestnut bolete mushroom
    Chestnut bolete (G. castaneus).
    Brick caps (Hyphaloma sublateritum), and Chestnut boletes (Gyroporus castaneus) can both be called chestnut mushrooms.

    But, there's only one Pholiota adiposa. Another cousin, Pholiota aurivella, is edible, shares the chestnut common name, and can be cultivated.

    Growing Chestnut Mushrooms

    Chestnut mushrooms can be grown outdoors on inoculated hardwood logs. Mushroom suppliers like North Spore sell inoculated spawn bags and grow kits that will grow mushrooms on your counter. Grow kits make for an easy, edible project in the Winter.

    chestnut mushrooms growing from a fruiting block
    I like the brown, rusty colored caps.

    How to Cook Chestnut Mushrooms

    While I assume there's a tradition of cooking wild ones, evidence of their use is scarce, at least in English. Japan and China seem to use them the most.

    chestnut mushroom soup with soba noodles
    This is a fantastic mushroom for miso soup.

    In Japan they're known as numerisugitake, and are cultivated along with their cousin nameko mushrooms (Pholiota nameko). Using Japanese cuisine as inspiration is a good way to start enjoying them, and I think they're best cooked without cheese or cream. You can also use them in Japanese recipes that call for hen of the woods.

    With celeriac steaks as a vegetarian entree.
    Pickling or steaming will keep the color.

    A versatile mushroom, they have a nutty flavor and slightly sweet taste. The best part is their chewy texture that stays crunchy after cooking. Depending on the size, they can be left whole if small, halved or quartered if large. Save small mushrooms for soup or pickling.

    Try to leave the stems mostly intact.
    cutting chestnut mushrooms with a fiskars knife
    Large caps can be thickly sliced.

    The Long, Edible Stem

    These have a long, firm stem that's tender and good to eat. They're great roasted and served in a salad as in the recipe in this post, but take well to many preparations. My Oyster Mushroom Soup with Soba Noodles is a good option too.

    roasted chestnut mushrooms in a carbon steel pan
    The long stems are excellent roasted.

    My favorite chestnut mushroom recipe so far is a simple salad of roasted mushrooms. If you have anything to add, especially on traditional uses of them in Japan or China, please comment.

    Roasted chestnut mushroom salad
    Print Recipe
    4.58 from 7 votes

    Roasted Chestnut Mushroom Salad

    A deliciously chewy salad or antipasti of roasted mushrooms marinated with oil, thyme, shallots and balsamic vinegar. Serves 4.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Chestnut Mushrooms, Roasted Mushrooms
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 530kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo

    Equipment

    • 1 12 inch cast iron pan or baking sheet
    • 1 small mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz chestnut mushrooms
    • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
    • Fresh ground black pepper
    • A handful of fresh thyme sprigs
    • 3 large cloves of garlic
    • 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 4 oz shallot cut into ¼ inch rounds

    Instructions

    Mushrooms

    • Crush the garlic cloves and cut into ½ inch pieces.
    • Trim the mushroom stems to an even length. Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the oil, salt, garlic, thyme sprigs and pepper.
    • Lay the mushrooms out on a cast iron pan or baking sheet lined with parchment and roast at 425 F for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown. Rotate the pan 180 after 15 minutes.

    Shallots

    • Peel the shallot and slice ¼ inch thick. Heat the shallot slices in a dry cast iron skillet until lightly charred (or just saute them quickly). Remove to a bowl and add the vinegar.
    • Remove the mushrooms from the oven. Discard the thyme sprigs, transfer to a bowl, add the shallots and olive oil and cool.
    • Double check the seasoning for salt and pepper and adjust until it tastes good to you. Serve warm or room temperature.

    Video

    Notes

    Variations

    Try this with a handful of walnuts mixed in, or with a nut or seed oil like pumpkinseed or walnut instead of the olive oil.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3oz | Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 28g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 1195mg | Potassium: 1449mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 3mg

    Chestnut Mushroom Substitutes

    Look for a mushroom with a chewy texture. Shiitakes are the best substitute, along with king oysters.

    References

    Buy Grow Kits from North Spore

    Buy Fresh from R and R Cultivation (Twin Cities Metro)

    Nutritional Benefits of Chestnut Mushrooms

    « Sand Cherry (Prunus Pumila)
    Whole Roasted Celeriac Steak Baked in a Crust »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Brian Bergman

      February 18, 2023 at 8:20 pm

      Thank you for sharing a new species of edible mushroom with the foodie foraging community. Excellent report and article. Looking forward to trying the chestnut mushroom.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 19, 2023 at 8:54 am

        Thanks Brian, they're a lot of fun.

        Reply
    2. Donna Winter

      February 19, 2023 at 1:38 pm

      5 stars
      I'm growing golden oysters right now but am inspired to give these a try. I've been looking into pickling mushrooms and I think I've found my first specimen to experiment on! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 20, 2023 at 8:34 am

        Yes I found these easy to grow. I'd like to set up a monotub to get a larger harvest. A great mushroom.

        Reply
        • Pixie

          February 25, 2023 at 4:24 pm

          5 stars
          Still new to mushroom foraging, I enjoy preparing my wild finds in simple, basic ways in order to acquaint myself with, and fully enjoy, their unique flavors and textures. Rather than using mushrooms to enhance a dish, they ARE the dish. I like them sauteed in butter and served in light cream on egg noodles, with rice, on toast, on a simple pizza, on a salad of mixed greens, as a side dish with beef, chicken or eggs, and as a delicate sandwich on a soft, warm brioche-style hamburger bun (yum). I would think that pickling them would result in a predominantly vinegar taste, masking the inherent mushroom flavor. So...what is the appeal? An interesting option for pickle lovers? Texture? An alternative method of preserving an abundant harvest? A way to preserve nutrients? I'm curious...please educate me!

          Reply
          • Alan Bergo

            February 27, 2023 at 2:55 pm

            Hi Pixie. So, pickled mushrooms are one of the oldest methods of preservation, and, along with freeze drying, is one of the best ways to preserve the texture of fresh mushrooms. That said, you're not wrong being skeptical of them having a strong vinegar taste-most of the recipes online seem to want to kill the mushrooms with vinegar. This is why all of the pickle recipes on this site use less vinegar than most others. I also use rice wine vinegar exclusively as it's less aggressive than others.

            The amount of vinegar you need to have a safe pH is much lower than most people assume. I did work testing different liquids with a pH meter at one restaurant I worked at where we sold products to the public, and that is where I developed the wild mushroom conserve (pickled mushrooms) that is so popular on this site.

            As far as how people use them, I encourage people to think out of the box. I rarely, if ever serve pickled mushrooms cold. They're great as a soup garnish. At my first restaurant I made about 50-80 pounds of pickled mushrooms a week and a warm ramekin of them went out with every steak.

            Hope that helps.

            Reply
    3. Will K.

      February 21, 2023 at 7:43 am

      5 stars
      I just recently learned about these after having had them on a frozen pizza imported from, of all places, Germany. I really liked the texture.

      Reply
    4. Pixie

      February 27, 2023 at 8:21 pm

      It does! My curiosity has been further increased. I'll happily check out your recipe. Thanks so much!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Chef Alan Bergo

    HI, I'm Alan: James Beard Award-winning Chef, Author, Show Host and Forager. I've been writing about cooking wild food here for over a decade. Let me show you why foraging is the most delicious thing you'll ever do.

    More about me →

    Get The Book

    the forager chef's book of flora
    The Forager Chefs Book of Flora

    As Seen On

    Footer

    BACK TO TOP

    Privacy

    Subscribe

    Be the first to hear what I'm doing

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Forager | Chef®