Vargánya

The toadstool, a treasure of the forest, is found in the woods from June to October. It is often called the king of the forest mushrooms, because its richness of flavour makes it a great choice for a variety of amazing dishes, whether fresh or dried.

There are several types of mushrooms in Hungary. They are most at home in beech and oak forests. Two of the species found in our area are particularly popular: the tasty toad (Boletus edulis) and the summer toad (Boletus reticulatus).

Robust in appearance. Its colour is brown, and its stump and hat-tail are solid, with a distinctive brown colour. When mushrooming yourself, be careful! In appearance it can easily be mistaken for poisonous tinporu, so only take home mushrooms that have been tested.

The taste is very aromatic, distinctive, with a deep nutty character. It is incredibly tasty, and some say that drying it brings out these typical characteristics even more. Certainly, even a pinch of it makes soups and sauces very special. It has the advantage that its flavours do not fade with heat, which is why it is so popular.

Like mushrooms in general, toadstools are about 90% water. It has a very high protein content (almost 8 grams of protein per 100 grams) and has an amino acid profile similar to animal proteins, which makes it an excellent source of protein for those following a vegan diet. Unusually for mushrooms, it also contains some fat (1.5 grams per 100 grams), which is good news as it is unsaturated fat. It is not lacking in minerals either: potassium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, sodium and zinc are also found in this vitamin bomb. And speaking of vitamins, it's worth pointing out the B1, B2, B5 and B9 content. In ancient times, it was also used for its healing properties, and in traditional Chinese medicine it is used to improve circulation and to treat gastrointestinal complaints.

As it is a wild mushroom, it is important to use only freshly picked mushrooms. If this is not possible, store them in the freezer. Once cleaned and sliced, they will keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months and when used, they should be used in the same way as fresh.

And now that we've talked so much about this wonderful ingredient, here's a recipe for toadstool soup:

Toadstool soup with sour cream

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 small bunch of parsley greens
salt
2 bay leaves
2 dl sour cream
lard
ground pepper
1 larger onion
2 larger potatoes
1 large handful of dried toad
1 l of stock (or water if not available)
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Soak the dried toad in warm water for 30 minutes. Sauté the chopped red onion in a little fat and add a teaspoon of ground red pepper. Then add the soaked, squeezed mushrooms. Add a litre of water or stock and season with salt and bay leaf. Peel the potatoes, dice them and add them to the stock. Then cook together until done. Finally add the sour cream and chopped parsley and bring to the boil.

Tip: in the diet version, you can replace the potatoes with potatoes to make a buckwheat and gersli vargata soup.

Try the KIOSK version: vargata cream soup with roasted vargata, lemon rosemary and garlic toast!