A little fungus that looks like a white worm coming out of the ground. Quite different, but I discovered that they make a tasty meal!
Its scientific name is Clavulina rugosa, and it is a type of coral fungus. It’s also known as the Wrinkled Club Fungus or the Wrinkle Coral Fungus. It can reach about 8 cm in height, but average I would say it’s around 5 cm. It has a very firm texture, and here in Brazil it grows in association with pine trees (Pinus sp.).
I read that they can also grow near eucalyptus trees, but I have not yet seen them near these trees. Around here in the Serra Gaúcha (mountainous region in the South of Brazil) they generally appear in the fall and winter, and it’s quite common to see them popping out among the pine needles.
We had already found them several times in the past 2 years, and I was able to identify them using the Primavera Fungi mushroom guide. They are edible, but we had never tried them, because we usually only found a few and it didn’t seem worth picking.
But this fall of 2024 I decided to collect a few to try, and to our surprise, they are very tasty! In addition, they are super easy to prepare, as they hardly require any cleaning, just removing the base that has a bit of soil still is usually enough. The firm and meaty texture remains even after sautéing.
Luckily, in June we ended up in an area that had an abundance of them. We managed to collect a good amount and we were able to enjoy them for dinner, along with “Pinhão” pine nuts (from the native Araucaria angustifolia tree) and some Pleurotus pulmonarius, both of which we also foraged during the same hike. A delicious meal, straight from the forest to our plate!
On this day we found a bunch (we had never seen so many) I ended up not even taking photos, I just focused on the work of collecting these little fungi one by one.
⚠ Remember to never eat wild mushrooms without proper identification.
📸 Pictures made in São Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul (Serra Gaúcha, South of Brazil).