Seat pine looks nothing like a mushroom. It is not particularly popular, and if mushroom pickers come across it while wandering in the forest, they often avoid it - that's why it is not that rarely reaching its enormous size and weighing several kilograms. It is worth knowing, however, that this mushroom not only has an unusual taste, but also scientifically proven he alth-promoting properties. What does a pine seat look like and what can it be used for?
Pine mushroom sit - what is this mushroom?
Pine branch, or a branch rag ( Sparassis crispa ) is an edible mushroom from the Sessuniaceae family ( Sparassidaceae ). Its names change depending on the region of Poland - so it is sometimes called a goat's beard, hen, or a curly shag, in the context of this mushroom you can also meet the name of ram, seabird, sherocop, orish, flatfish or sit, and even forest cauliflower.
Until recently, the pine tree was under species protection. Currently, however, it occurs quite often in Poland and can be collected. You just have to remember that it is very fragile and easy to break during transport.
Sit pine - look and taste
The pine seat has a very distinctive appearance - it resembles an overgrown natural sea sponge. The mushroom is fibrous, elastic to the touch, has an irregular shape, initially its fruiting body is dirty white, then yellowish and brown, while the flesh is white.
The shaft of the mushroom is short, thick and quite dark. Pine seam is quite large - it can be over 30 cm in diameter and weigh over 5 kg, although smaller specimens are usually found in Polish forests.
The taste of Sondonia Pine is often described as sweetish. slightly nutty, sometimes interspersed with a spicy note, and the smell - spicy and quite intense.
Sit pine - occurrence
In Poland, the season for pine is more or less from July to November. This fungus grows mainly in coniferous forests, less often in mixed forests. The seat of the pine tree, as the name suggests, is easiest to find where pine trees grow - this fungus very often grows at the base of the trunk of these trees, although it can also be found in the vicinity of spruce trees.
This distinguishes it from its close cousin, the oak seat, who has a liking for a different species of trees. It is characteristic that the fruiting bodies of the pine tree can grow in the same places over the years.
Sit pine - application
Pine seat can be stored for quite a long time, because it contains a number of biologically active compounds with antibacterial properties.
It can be fried, dried, boiled, made into mushroom tripe or soup. Young, white or pale yellow fruiting bodies are the most delicious - the older ones may already be hardened, and therefore not very tasty. The only problem may be its thorough cleaning, because the folds of the fruiting body are full of small insects, sand or fragments of bedding.
Pine tree seat - pro-he alth properties
But the pine mushroom is worth eating not only because of its taste - this mushroom also has valuable he alth-promoting and healing properties, which have been confirmed in numerous scientific studies.
Scientists in Korea conducted a meta-analysis assessing a total of 623 articles and research studies on the properties of this mushroom, including 33 randomized, controlled experiments (the work appeared in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences). The aim of the study was to evaluate the statistically significant benefits ofS. crispain therapeutic approaches, in a word - examining whether the pine tree can be a potential therapeutic raw material. The conclusions of this meta-analysis were very promising.
Researchers have proven that the pine treecontains active biological and pharmacological ingredients,useful in the treatment of diseases - they include, among others β-glucan, antifungal compounds (sparassol, methyl-2,4-dihydroxy-6-methylbenzoate and methyl dihydroxymethoxy methylbenzoate), ergosterol peroxides and benzoate derivatives. One of them - β-glucan - can prevent and treat common diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and accelerate wound healing, and has a beneficial effect on the immune system.
The meta-analysis confirmed that this mushroom is not only edible but also medicinal.
Pine tree seat has scientifically proven properties:
- antidiabetic - reduces the level of glucose in the blood serum, reduces insulin levels, accelerates wound healing in diabetics.
- anti-cancer - reduces the activity of cancer cells, leading to a decrease in their viability, strengthens the immune response against cancer and stimulates the cells of the immune system
- anti-inflammatory
- antifungal
- antioxidant.
