Northern milkcap

What it is

Lactarius trivialis is a milkcap, a gilled fungus of the genus Lactarius in the family Russulaceae. Its cap can range from light brown to dark purple. Elias Fries first recorded it in 1838. The species is classified in five subtaxa.

Lactarius is the genus that exudes a milky latex when the flesh is cut, and the cap colour varies with age and conditions. The name northern milkcap is used for more than one species, so it does not identify this one on its own. The Finnish source applies the same name to L. utilis.

Habitat and distribution

The Wikipedia article says the fungus is most commonly found in Scandinavia. The Swedish guide describes it in moist, mossy birch and spruce forest and calls it common throughout Sweden. The Finnish source calls it one of the more popular milkcaps foraged in Finland, while warning that it is easily mixed with others.

Traditional processing

The catalogue records the species as a traditional processed, salted mushroom in northern and eastern Europe, and as an acrid fungus that needs a specific regional pretreatment before use.

The Swedish guide says it must be parboiled in plenty of water, and the water thrown away before the mushrooms are cooked or prepared. The Finnish source says pre-boiled mushrooms work well in many dishes. The sources read do not explain what the parboiling removes or give times and temperatures, so no processing method is set out here.

Conflicting edibility advice

The Nordic guides treat the species as edible after parboiling. A Vienna mushroom consultation page lists it as inedible, and the reason is not stated in the result read. The advice therefore depends on the country and the guide, and the conflict is recorded rather than resolved here.

Safety

The catalogue's workbook label is CONDITIONS: inspect the individual record, and it is kept as supplied. The sources read do not establish that the mushroom is safe without the stated pretreatment, and they do not establish that the pretreatment makes it safe.

This record is not a guide to identifying wild fungi. Confirm the identity with a local expert before eating it, and follow the regional guidance where you forage.