Eating grumelos

It's about Amarita ponderosa this time, a mushroom called gurumelo o grumelo in Spanish, with its English name being "Heavy Amidella". It was probably named after the mound of earth (grumo) it pushes up making its way out.

Young grumelos

This mushroom is a gastronomic delight available in some areas of Spain, which makes it clear why there is almost no English information available about it. It's an edible Basidiomycota species endemic to the thickets of the provinces of Seville and Huelva (Andalusia) and Badajoz (Extremadura) I have been lucky to try. It's beloved and valued by all the mushroom-eating people living in Spain. Deservedly, I can see it now.

Stone grumelo in Zagrilla, Córdoba (Image from a blog dedicated to mycosculptures)

It is used in many ways, in guisos (stews), tortillas (Spanish omlette) or revueltos (scrambled with eggs), but a friend of mine showed me its virtues by making grumelos al microondas (microwaved). It doesn't sound gourmet, I know, but trust me, give it a try! It was an exquisite meal fit for any lover of fine food. First, it was carefully picked, and then, prepared by hand, flawlessly. Rich both for its flavour and texture: all natural, fresh and tender, lightly-cooked and delicately seasoned with some grains of coarse sea salt. It was heaven! I forgot to take a picture of the dish before we gobbled it all up, and there's nothing on Google either, sorry.

For images go to Jesús Baz's Wikispace, and here you have a clip from a TV show about the nature of this tasty mushroom, and an amateur YouTube video in case you are curious about how to find it (both in Spanish).