Lobster Mushroom

Hypomyces lactiflourum

See artwork and accessories in our shop celebrating the Lobster mushroom!

Photo taken by: Scott Darbey

Other Names:

• Oaxaca, Mexico: xi'i lo' o - Mushroom of Rooster
• Mexico:
  • Trompas de puerco - Pig Snout
  • Trucha de puerco - Hog Snout
  • Orejas de cerdo - Pig Ear

Etymology:

• Lobster mushroom: I mean, just look at it! Its white on the inside with a firey red and orange exterior. Tell me that doesn't look like a lobster

Location: Found most commonly in North and Central America and sometimes in Europe.

Ecological Group: This is a parasitic fungus whose host consists of a handful fungi in the Russula and Lactarius genera.

Edible? Yes! It has firm texture and is often described as having a sweet and nutty flavor similar to lobster, but perhaps this is just our brain interpreting what we want to taste.

• History and Culture

  • The names given to mushrooms in the Mixtec language are most often composed of the root word for mushroom, “xi’ i”, and a modifier describing the mushroom, in this case “lo’ o” meaning “Rooster”. [1]

  • Multiple surveys conducted in various regions of Mexico have documented the popularity of Lobster Mushrooms. Furthermore, due to their ease of identification and high value, they are frequently foraged by children and sold at markets. [1][2][3]

• Science

  • Overtime, as the parasite takes over the host fungus, we have found that the DNA of the host fungus is slowly replaced with that of the Lobster mushroom. This is considered to be the reason for the change in flavor as well! [5] For a fuller and more friendly explanation of this see Fungi Friday; The Lobster Mushroom, Hypomyces Lactifluorum.

• Food and Agriculture

  • The Lobster mushroom possesses the remarkable ability to transform numerous unpopular or poorly flavored fungi into delicacies. For instance, the Blancaccio mushroom (Lactifluus piperatus) carries an intensely hot flavor that renders it unpleasant to eat. However, when parasitized by the Lobster mushroom, the heat is neutralized! [4]

• Learn More

  • Lobster Mushroom Wikipedia page

  • Fungi Friday; The Lobster Mushroom, Hypomyces Lactifluorum - An interesting article that breaks down a study on how the Lobster mushroom slowly changes the DNA of the host mushroom to match its own!

  • Tom Volk's Fungus of the Month for August 2001 - One of my favorite sources of information, it always has something new and fun to learn.

• References

  1. Santiago, F. H., Moreno, J. P., Cázares, B. X., Suárez, J. J. A., Trejo, E. O., de Oca, G. M. M., & Aguilar, I. D. (2016). Traditional knowledge and use of wild mushrooms by Mixtecs or Ñuu savi, the people of the rain, from Southeastern Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 12, 1-22.

  2. Torres-Gómez, M., Garibay-Orijel, R., Pérez-Salicrup, D. R., Casas, A., & Guevara, M. (2022). Wild edible mushroom knowledge and use in five forest communities in central México. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 53(1), 25-37.

  3. Quiñónez-Martínez, M., Ruan-Soto, F., Aguilar-Moreno, I. E., Garza-Ocañas, F., Lebgue-Keleng, T., Lavín-Murcio, P. A., & Enríquez-Anchondo, I. D. (2014). Knowledge and use of edible mushrooms in two municipalities of the Sierra Tarahumara, Chihuahua, Mexico. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 10, 1-13.

  4. Volk, T. (2001, August). Tom Volk’s Fungus of the Month for August 2001. Hypomyces lactifluorum, the lobster mushroom, Tom Volk’s fungus of the Month for August 2001. https://botit.botany.wisc.edu/toms_fungi/aug2001.html

  5. Laperriere, G., Desgagné-Penix, I., & Germain, H. (2018). DNA distribution pattern and metabolite profile of wild edible lobster mushroom (Hypomyces lactifluorum/Russula brevipes). Genome, 61(5), 329-336.

Disclaimer: Please refrain from picking and consuming mushrooms without proper guidance. If you have an interest in learning how to forage, I strongly encourage you to join your local mycological society. You can find a list of clubs across America, organized by state, on the North American Mycological Society's website.