Eryngii, panicaut oyster mushroom, false porcini mushroom, royal oyster mushroom or even the King oyster.
This mushroom of Mediterranean origin is found naturally at the foot of panicauts which are thorny plants of the Apiaceae family. It is a member of the saprophytic mushroom family, which breaks down dead material, like most cultivated mushrooms.
It has a very good shelf life thanks to its firm and dense flesh and its low water content. The foot is close to the texture of Bordeaux porcini mushrooms. It has a light almond or hazelnut flavor.
They can be cooked in different ways: scallops, or carpaccios for example.
In terms of cultivation, it is sometimes more capricious than its cousin the oyster mushroom. On the one hand, it is more demanding in terms of substrate: it prefers soft sawdust to straw. It is also relatively susceptible to disease and its productivity is less predictable than that of the oyster mushroom. That said, it is a variety that can be very productive.
