Porcini mushrooms are a sought-after delicacy, officially in season during autumn. For wild mushroom hunter Corinto Bulgarini, this fall he encountered a surprising treasure during his search– a massive twin porcini mushroom weighing three kilos and 200 grams (approximately 7 pounds), developed in two bodies from a single base. With brown caps and thick white stalks, porcini mushrooms regularly weigh up to 0.907 kilos (approximately 2 pounds). Commonly found in Central Europe, one of their many habitats is found in the Tuscan hills and moutains. Bulgarini found the giant mushroom in the woods in Manciano near the Maremma area on the southern Tuscan coast.
At the end of September, another record was shattered for the porcini mushroom when another mushroom hunter came across one in the same area, with a stem almost 40 centimeters (16 inches) in circumference. In cuisine, porcini mushrooms can be fried, sautéed, grilled, braised, stewed, and paired with pasta and other dishes, only in the fall when they are available. (Fiona Hastings)
