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    Home » Types of Edible Wild Mushrooms

    Shaggy Parasol Mushrooms

    Published: Nov 28, 2015 Modified: Feb 7, 2024 Author: Alan Bergo

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    The shaggy parasol mushroom (Chlorophyllum rhacodes) is a delicious wild mushroom you should know. An intermediate-level mushroom for foragers, these require a little extra time to understand and identify. Long enjoyed in Europe, they're known as Mazze de Tamburo (drum sticks) in Italian.

    Shaggy parasol Chlorophyllum rhacodes

    Parasols have been eluding me for a while. One day in the fall I got a picture message from my boss's wife with a question I get often: "what is this mushroom, and can I eat it?". 99% of the time the answer is no, but this picture was of a mushroom I had studied long and hard.

    Shaggy parasol Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    Shaggy parasols

    Look a-likes

    The tricky part is that parasols have a nasty cousin that's in just about everyone's yard: Chlorophyllum molybdites, formerly known as the green-spored lepiota. Molybdites is the dime-a-dozen, large parasol you see all over the place.

    Chlorophyllum molybdites or poisonous false parasol mushroom growing in the grass.
    C. molybdites is common in lawns.
    Poisonous false parasol mushroom Chlorophyllum molybdites seen from the top down showing the shaggy cap.
    The caps of false parasols are less shaggy than edible parasol mushrooms.

    It's pretty much the poster child for online mushroom id questions, since people see them all over the place during mushroom season. One of my line cooks even brought some in this year, after asking the old question: "what is this and can I eat it?". I showed him how to spore print, and that solved that conundrum.

    Molybdites is worth being afraid of too, it won't kill you, but It'll make you wish you were dead. Don't worry though, if you do your homework, there is nothing to be scared of. However, these do take a little more work to snuff out than something "easy", like a chicken of the woods, so show'em a little respect-don't throw them into a pan before you know exactly what parasol you have.

    That being said, there is one other edible look alike to mention that I haven't seen personally-Lepiota americana.

    Identification

    Getting down to business, here's the characteristics of the shaggy parasol that stick out to me the most:

    • The most important trait is that these have white spores-molybdites has noticeably green ones. This means you have to collect a few mature mushrooms with opened caps for spore printing to know exactly what you're eating. You need to see the color of their spores.
    • Since there are usually varying ages in the same patch, this isn't difficult at all.  You can of course look for a "natural" spore print on the top of caps surrounding mature mushrooms too.
    Shaggy parasol Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    A white spore print, the most important part.
    • Mature shaggy parasols will not have a broad, cone-like shape to their cap
    • The cap is shaggy, really shaggy, meaning it's covered with little bits of fluff. If you know the difference between a shaggy mane and an alcohol inky, you won't have a problem here. Molybdites doesn't have brown scales as pronounced as our tasty parasol from my experience. Here's a picture of what I mean.
    • Young will bruise a saffron color when their stem is sliced, which eventually turns to dark red.
    Shaggy parasol mushroom or Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    Shaggy parasol mushrooms or Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    • The bottom of the stem should be a bit bulbous.
    Shaggy parasol Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    Showing the bulbous bottom of the stem, cloves of garlic for scale on the right.
    Shaggy parasol mushroom or Chlorophyllum rhacodes cap close up showing shaggy brown scales.
    C. rhacodes has a much shaggier cap than C. molybdites.

    Individual sensitivity/allergy

    Unfortunately, even if you come across some of these and they're true shaggy parasols, unfortunately, like morels, lobster mushrooms and chicken of the woods, some people will have allergic reactions to them. Don't be scared, but remember to enjoy small amounts at first to make sure they agree with you.

    A large parasol mushroom next to a ruler to show the cap is over 10 inches across in diameter.
    These mushrooms can be very large.

    Cooking

    They're excellent, and like most shrooms, the younger they are, the better they eat. Their flavor is similar to Agaric species, I've tried, like the meadow mushroom, mild and pleasant, and rich when caramelized-the biggest difference is heir long stem needs a little tlc.

    A jar of dried parasol mushrooms or Chlorophyllum rhacodes.
    Parasol mushrooms dried for soup.

    Just like Leccinum species, the stem is tougher than the cap, and requires longer cooking. To get by this you can trim the stem down a few inches, or simply twist the stem off, then dice it, and cook it alongside the caps, or incorporate the cooked stem into a stuffing for the caps, which is traditional.

    The stem can also be peeled gently like you might a large honey mushroom, which helps it cook evenly.

    Cornmeal fried shaggy parasols Chlorophyllum rhacodes

    More 

    35 Essential Wild Mushrooms Every Forager Should Know

    Cornmeal fried shaggy parasols or Chlorophyllum rhacodes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.34 from 3 votes

    Italian Fried Shaggy Parasols

    A classic Italian recipe for shaggy parasols, known as mazze de tamburo, slowly fried in olive oil and finished with minced garlic, crushed red pepper and fresh mint leaves.
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: mazze de tamburo recitte
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 120kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo
    Cost: 5

    Equipment

    • 1 10 inch cast iron skillet

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb shaggy parasol mushrooms harvested before the caps open, brushed clean, stems peeled
    • Fresh ground black pepper to taste
    • Wedges of lemon to serve, (optional)
    • ¼ cup light olive oil or cooking oil, as needed for frying the mushrooms
    • ½ tsp kosher salt to taste
    • 1 tsp minced garlic
    • 1 tbsp fresh sliced mint leaves
    • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

    Instructions

    • Cut the mushrooms into large pieces. Smaller mushrooms can be halved.
    • Heat half the oil in a cast iron skillet or a wide saute pan on medium heat, when it's hot, place the mushrooms in the pan and cook slowly, flipping occasionally.
    • If the mushrooms soak up the oil in the pan, add more oil and continue cooking. Take your time, flipping the mushrooms here and there until they're golden brown on both sides. Season with a pinch of salt half way through cooking.
    • When the mushrooms are golden brown, push them to the side of the pan and add the garlic. Drag the mushrooms around in the garlic, flipping them to coat with the oil.
    • Add the crushed red pepper and mint leaves, stir to combine. Taste a small piece of mushroom to test the flavor, adjust the seasoning for salt until they taste good to you, then serve with lemon wedges as a side dish.

    Video

    Notes

    Other mushrooms with gills like meadow mushrooms, blewits and honey mushrooms can be cooked this way. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 3oz | Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.2g | Protein: 0.05g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 291mg | Potassium: 3mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 0.01g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Debbie Viess

      February 10, 2025 at 12:17 pm

      Some people cannot eat any Chlorophyllum species, regardless of cooking time. Others seem to be able to eat even C. molybdites, with sufficient cooking. My husband and I both ate the same well cooked Chlorophyllum dish, prepared by a friend (no question about the exact species; the friend who prepared it is a top CA taxonomist!). We both had modest amounts. I enjoyed it, my poor husband hugged that porcelin throne for many hours!

      Lots of individual variation in edibility with this genus. It's definitely one to view with caution.

      They sure are pretty and distinctive, though!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 10, 2025 at 12:38 pm

        Thanks Debbie. This post is pretty old now and due for an update. This is a good reminder for me to get on that.

        Reply
    2. Vera

      June 08, 2023 at 3:15 pm

      Awesome pics. You've helped me nail it. About to have shaggy magic in Colorado.

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        June 08, 2023 at 3:17 pm

        Hey thanks. Once you know it it’s easy, but this can be a tricky one.

        Reply
    3. Rena Johnson

      October 19, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Have been collecting and eating these for a number of years here in Western Montana - they are awesome just sauteed in butter, and freeze well (after cooking) in waxed paper in a zip lock. What I don't do: keep them in the refrigerator after cooking. My absolute favorite mushroom!!

      Reply
    4. Dave Oshana

      September 18, 2020 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      Has anyone been advised to "pre-boil before cooking"? One Finnish mushroom book recommends boiling *before* cooking "Akansieni", which it classifies as Chlorophyllum Olivieri, whilst a second book classifies as Chlorophyllum Rhacodes. In contrast, English websites and videos advise simply chopping the raw mushroom before frying it. One website even advises against using excessive water when cleaning the Shaggy Parasol, in case the meaty taste is washed away.

      Reply
    5. Gavin Lyons

      September 03, 2019 at 2:23 am

      Parasols are certainly one my favorites to eat around this time of year here in Austria. Recently I found a use for the stems which might interest you. I'm attempting to make Anthotype photography from the Parasol stems - https://gavinlyons.photography/preparing-mushrooms-for-anthotypes-part-ii/

      Btw you also inspired me to try out a spore print too. At some point I hope to make one of those Saffron Milkcup recipes once I find enough fresh samples in our woods.

      Reply
    6. Natalie Serna

      September 10, 2018 at 10:07 am

      Can I send you a picture of some I picked today growing in the grass where I live?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        September 10, 2018 at 12:08 pm

        Sure, but don't be expecting me to ID them 100%. Facebook groups are great for posting with ID requests. alanbergo3 AT gmail.com

        Reply
    7. Iryna

      December 13, 2016 at 3:23 am

      We have collected a large quantity for the first time. We followed all the identification tips and got convinced it was the edible one. We cooked it thou roughly and gave it a try. We ate a little the first time, and we're fine. Then I cooked with them and we were still fine. A week later I still had a lot left, so I decided to cook them all up and had a large portion for dinner. I am sick as a dog now!!! Can the quantity really make you sick?

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        December 15, 2016 at 6:51 pm

        I have never gorged myself on shaggy parasols, but I know David Arora definitely talks about many cases of mushroom "poisoning" being from over-consumption. Sorry to hear, my girlfriend ate a dish I made with lobster mushrooms that was hanging out in her fridge for a few days too long and got very sick last year. I know mushroom gastro-intestinal distress is absolutely horrible, sorry to hear, but I hope you'll be able to hunt more next year, don't let a little sickness deter you from having fun.

        Reply
    8. Will K.

      January 15, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      I’ve never come across Lepiota rachodes here in VA, but I regularly collect and eat L. Americana and Macrolepiota procera (Macrolepiota procera is one of my favorites; the huge caps are awesome stuffed with an Italian sausage-based stuffing). To me, the L. rachodes looks far more likely to be confused with Chlorophyllum molybdites than the other two large Lepiotas, at least visually. Great blog, BTW!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        February 01, 2016 at 10:50 am

        Thanks.

        Reply
    9. nancy elder

      November 28, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      p.s. love your site!

      Reply
    10. nancy elder

      November 28, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      If you've never eaten this mushroom, go slow. First time I ate it mixed in with other species and got sick. Couldn't believe it was the Lepiota rachodes (old name) since It was the emblem of the L.A. Mycological Society. So, I ate it again . . .and yes sick again. I've been collecting and eating mushrooms for over 40 years and it's the only common edible I can't eat.

      Reply
    4.34 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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