Foraged

Bicolor bolete (Baorangia bicolor) – how to find, ID, and eat this wild gourmet mushroom

Bicolor bolete (Baorangia bicolor) - how to find, ID, and eat this wild gourmet mushroom thumbnail
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Bicolor bolete mushrooms are one of our favorite summer fungi — and one of the few wild-foraged mushrooms we know of that pairs well with red meat. Find out how to locate, identify, and eat this summer delicacy!


Warning: Before reading this article, note that there are lots of wild mushrooms and plants that can kill you or make you very sick. There are also poisonous lookalikes to bicolor bolete mushrooms, some of which we highlight in this article. As we detail in our Beginner’s Guide to Foraging, you should never eat anything you’re not 100% certain you’ve correctly ID’d AND you’re not 100% certain is edible. 


Introducing boletes: A fun fungi family

Boletes (Boletaceae) are a large family of fungi that can be found around the world. They’re particularly beloved by mushroom foragers due to their many edible species — although there are also poisonous boletes to be cautious of. 

Shaggy stalked boletes (Heimioporus Betula). We jokingly call these giraffe boletes, for obvious reasons. Technically, these are an edible bolete but not considered a choice edible.

Shaggy stalked boletes (Heimioporus Betula). We jokingly call these giraffe boletes, for obvious reasons. Technically, these are an edible bolete but not considered a choice edible.

Most bolete family fungi are easy to spot due:

  1. their classic cartoon mushroom shape (large round cap attached to single stems), and
  2. lack of gills.

Instead of gills, the underside of a bolete cap looks like a fine-pored sponge; millions of spores emanate from these structures on mature mushrooms. Spores are to mushrooms as seeds are to plants. 

Exception – There is one bolete species in our area that does have gills: the aptly named gilled bolete (Phylloporus rhodoxanthus). This is also an excellent edible mushroom.

Bicolor bolete (left) vs gilled bolete (right).

A couple of other edible boletes: Boletus pseudosensibilis (left), which looks almost identical to bicolor boletes and gilled bolete (right). 

Perhaps the most famous of all boletes is the King bolete, aka porcini (Boletus edulis). Unfortunately for us, porcinis don’t grow natively in our area, Greenville, South Carolina.

However, there are plenty of other commonly found, edible bolete species that grow abundantly here. Our personal favorite: bicolor boletes (Baorangia bicolor). 

 

What do bicolor boletes taste like? 

We consider bicolor boletes to be a choice edible. They have a distinct yet subtle meat-like umami flavor. 

Although some sources say boletes, in general, can be eaten raw, we highly recommend cooking bicolor boletes before eating them. As Paul Stamets notes, the cell walls of mushroom are comprised mostly of chitin, making mushrooms indigestible prior to cooking — and making the nutrients inside the cells unavailable. 

Two bicolor boletes emerging from leaf litter on the forest floor.

Two bicolor boletes emerging from leaf litter on the forest floor.

Bicolor boletes are one of a handful of wild-foraged mushrooms in our area that we think pairs well with red meat, without having their flavor overwhelmed or eclipsed by the meat. Another mushroom that falls into the “pairs well with red meat” category that fruits at the same time as boletes is Lactifluus volemus, which we know by the common name Bradley lactarius. (We’ll write more about this species soon.) 

When to find bicolor boletes

Boletes are a heat-loving fungal family. We’re in Agricultural Zone 7b at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Greenville, SC. The earliest we ever see bicolor boletes fruiting in our area is the beginning of June, but it’s usually mid-late June after chanterelles have already started fruiting. 

Bicolor boletes viewed at different angles to help you see what they look like.

Bicolor boletes viewed at different angles to help you see what they look like. (More on how to identify bicolor boletes below.)

Depending on how warm (and wet) of a late summer/early fall we’re having, we may find bicolor boletes fruiting all the way into early October. 

Thus, bicolor boletes — like all boletes — are considered summer mushrooms

Where to find bicolor boletes

Bicolor boletes can be found on different continents around the world. In North America, their range is pretty much everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains and all the way south into northern Florida.

Unlike many other edible gourmet mushrooms which you can grow at home, bicolor boletes can only be foraged, not cultivated. 

A bicolor bolete with cap cut in half to show some of the key physical features, which you can read about below. You can also see here how the mushroom fruiting body was attached to the below-ground mycelium.

A bicolor bolete with cap cut in half to show some of the key physical features, which you can read about below. You can also see here how the mushroom fruiting body was attached to the below-ground mycelium, which is intertwined with tree roots.

They form symbiotic, mycorrhizal relationships with various hardwood trees, which is why they’re quite common in hardwood forests. The fungal organism actually lives below ground in association with tree roots.

This relationship vastly expands a tree’s ability to source nutrients and water from surrounding soil by many orders of magnitude since the fungal hyphae operate as a secondary root system.

In exchange, the tree provides the boletes with carbohydrates it generates via photosynthesis. The bicolor bolete mushroom you see and eat is the fruiting body of this giant, tree-friendly organism living beneath your feet under the forest floor. 

In our area, bicolor boletes seem to most commonly associate with oak and beech trees. Oddly, our family in lowstate South Carolina has found bicolor boletes living in association with pine trees, although it’s possible they were finding other edible bicolor bolete subspecies/varieties or one of the other genetically distinct edible bolete species that’s visually identical to bicolor boletes.   

How to identify bicolor boletes

So it’s summer (check), you’re out in a forest with plenty of deciduous trees around (check), and you spot a mushroom that you think might be a bicolor bolete. What are the next steps you need to check off the list to positively ID your new fungal friend as a bicolor bolete? 

Below are physical characteristics of bicolor boletes you can use to make a positive ID:

A closer look at stem and cap cross sections and pore surfaces of bicolor boletes at various ranges of maturity. As you can see: a) they don't bruise blue (or only mildly/slowly blue) when cut, b) they have a very shallow pore/tube layer, and c) the pore surface bruises blue when scratched. The blue

A closer look at stem and cap cross sections and pore surfaces of bicolor boletes at various ranges of maturity. As you can see: a) they don’t bruise blue (or only mildly/slowly blue) when cut, b) they have a very shallow pore/tube layer, and c) the pore surface bruises blue when scratched. The blue “BB” mark (for bicolor bolete) on the largest mushroom was made simply by scraping the pore surface surface with a knife.

Size: 

Bicolor boletes have the best, dense meaty texture and flavor when they’re relatively small, about 3-4″ tall. They can grow quite large under ideal growing conditions (lots of rain and shade of forest canopy). We’ve seen bicolors grow to 6″ tall with caps 6″ wide. 

A small and large bicolor bolete.

A small and large bicolor bolete.

At the large size end of the spectrum, the caps and pores tend to become a bit spongy and insects have begun to degrade their quality. They’re still perfectly edible, but better dehydrated and turned into powdered mushrooms for soup and sauce flavoring. 

Cap texture and color:

Bicolor boletes have a smooth cap surface and a cherry to brick-red cap coloration. 

Pore surface:

The underside of a bicolor bolete cap is pored, not gilled. The pore surface is bright yellow. 

When you press on the yellow pore surface of a bicolor bolete, the spot will bruise blue. 

Note how shallow the tube layer is on these bicolor boletes on the underside of the caps. This is another identifying feature.

Note how shallow the tube layer is on these bicolor boletes on the underside of the caps. This is another identifying feature. Also, note how the stems and caps haven’t flushed blue after being cut — except of the pore surface. 

Stem characteristics: 

Bicolor boletes’ stems are smooth and thick, often somewhat bulbous when young.

There is some stem color variation and the color can change slightly as they mature. However, the stems are always red at the base and remain red almost all the way up to the pore surface.

Spore print: 

If you place a bicolor bolete pore-side down on a dish or piece of paper, it will produce an olive brown spore print after a few hours. 

Cut test: 

We call it the “cut test,” and it’s perhaps the single most important identification test you can undertake with a bicolor bolete

When you slice into a bicolor bolete stem or cap, it will bruise blue slowly rather than flushing blue immediately. Sometimes, they won’t bruise blue at all.   

Bicolor boletes have POISONOUS lookalikes

It’s very important to note that bicolor boletes do have some poisonous look-alike. Boletus sensibilis is the most common of these lookalikes and is considered mildly poisonous.

Boletus sensibilis fruits at the same time and in association with the same trees as bicolor boletes. They are often nearly visually identical as well.

This is a poisonous lookalike to a bicolor bolete. Note the red pores and the rapidly bluing on the cut marks. It's hard to know for certain, but this is most likely a red-pored bolete, Rubroboletus pulcherrimus.

This is another poisonous lookalike to a bicolor bolete. Note the red pores (instead of yellow) and the rapid bluing on the cut marks. It’s hard to know for certain, but this is likely a red-pored bolete, Rubroboletus pulcherrimus.

So how do you tell Baorangia bicolor and Boletus sensibilis apart? The cut test.

Boletus sensibilis flushes blue immediately when you administer the cut test. Bicolors bruise slowly or not at all.

A beautiful large bicolor bolete fruiting in late June. Despite its size, it's still in perfect shape thanks to abundant rain and shade.

Nope, this gorgeous mushroom is NOT a bicolor bolete. It’s an edible, non-poisonous lookalike – Boletus pseudosensibilis. Note how the stem is much more yellow, with only a bit of red at the base. Thanks to Kat Taylor for the proper identification!  

How to eat bicolor boletes

As mentioned previously, bicolor boletes have a wonderful umami flavor and meat-like texture. Only eat them cooked, not raw.  

Lots of recipes call generally for “mushrooms.” This usually means white button mushrooms or portobellos, which are actually the same species (Agaricus bisporus) at different stages of maturity. You can use bicolors instead, so long as it’s a cooked mushroom recipe. 

Also, since a small percentage of the population is going to be allergic to pretty much any food imaginable, it’s a good idea to only eat a small amount of bicolor boletes your first time to make sure your body doesn’t have a negative reaction. (We’d also give the same advice to someone eating common foods like peanut butter or eggs for the first time.) 

Even large bicolor boletes can still be good in the kitchen, so long as they're not too bug eaten. This large bicolor is still in perfect shape inside.

Even large bicolor boletes can still be good in the kitchen, so long as they’re not too bug eaten. This large bicolor is still in perfect shape inside.

We’d also advise you to make bicolor boletes as simply as possible the first time so you get to know their flavor. This will help better inform your decision about how to use them in the kitchen in the future. 

Here’s a simple recipe to cook bicolor boletes the first time:

bicolor bolete recipe
Print

Sauteed bicolor bolete mushrooms

Course: Appetizer
Keyword: bicolor boletes, mushrooms
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

A simple beginner recipe to help you gain an appreciation for bicolor bolete mushrooms' flavor.

Ingredients

  • bicolor boletes, sliced into 1/4" pieces
  • white or yellow onions, diced
  • grass-fed butter
  • water
  • sea salt

Instructions

  1. Slice boletes into 1/4" pieces then place them into a sauce pan with 1/4 the quantity of diced white or yellow onion. For instance, if you have 2 cups of sliced boletes, use 1/2 cup diced onions. 

  2. Add enough water to the pan to just cover the surface of the ingredients. For each cup of boletes you have, add 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter plus 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. 

  3. Turn stove to medium heat. Let water cook out; as water evaporates, the mushrooms will cook but any flavor lost will be reabsorbed into the mushrooms as will the salt. 

  4. Saute the boletes until lightly browned, then serve. Now you have a basic idea of what bicolor boletes taste like and can use them in more dishes!

You can also dress up the above recipe on future attempts by adding a splash of red wine as the water is reducing, and herbs like thyme and rosemary. This would be the perfect topping or side for a fancy homemade grass-fed burger or steak. 

Want to take your bicolor bolete cooking game to the next level? Try our bicolor bolete mushroom pâté recipe

Enjoy this forest-to-table delicacy!

KIGI,

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Lisa
    September 9, 2022 at 11:50 am

    Hi, I’ve read a lot of things about mushrooms but I don’t recall seeing any source that says “boletes, in general, can be eaten raw.” The only ones I know about that are recommended raw are Boletus edulis, and not in large amounts–a few thin slices dressed w/ oil, lemon, salt & pepper as a small tasty salad.

    • Reply
      Aaron von Frank
      September 9, 2022 at 4:19 pm

      We definitely do not recommend eating boletes raw, for reasons we detail in the article. The sentence reads, “Although some sources say boletes, in general, can be eaten raw, we highly recommend cooking bicolor boletes before eating them.” We linked out to the source that originally mentioned eating boletes raw, but it looks like that reference has now been edited out. Regardless, to anyone else reading: cook your boletes before eating!

  • Reply
    Jonny "Pawley's Island Pirate" Rigs
    August 28, 2022 at 8:22 am

    I used to live upstate SC in Greenville and only ever saw the big white yard mushrooms, but since moving coastal I have seen a huge variety of Fungi and it’s peaked my interest. I have always loved mushrooms but only have ever gotten them from the store because “Safety first.” But down here there are just so many kinds and my new neighborhood is covered in what I have been assuming to be Boletes, now I can go out and test them and really find out what I have got here. Maybe I’ll make some for my burgers this next weekend.
    Thanks for this simple but well written out line of how to identify them, most of the Mycology pages are kinda hard to read ha!

    If you’re ever in PI send me a reply and I’ll walk you through my mushroom dense neighborhood.

    • Reply
      Aaron von Frank
      August 29, 2022 at 10:59 am

      We also have family who live on the coast in Mt. Pleasant, SC. They’ve been getting hammered by huge rainstorms almost daily over the past few weeks and said the fungi are fruiting like crazy down there. They’ve been sending us pictures of the various edible boletes (including bicolors) they’ve been finding as well. “Safety first” is always a good rule, whether you’re a new or experienced forager. Glad our article was helpful and hope you learn a ton about the fascinating field of mycology during your outdoor forays. Enjoy!

  • Reply
    John
    August 25, 2022 at 4:14 pm

    Just bought a home in Cataula Georgia, and back yard is littered with them. So wanting to go at them, did the cut test and low and behold, I believe I have a garden of edibles. Your site and details have made me almost positive that I am okay with what i have found. Cut test again, yielded the identical results (photos) of what you depict as winners.

    Skeptical in Georgia….

    John

    • Reply
      Aaron von Frank
      August 26, 2022 at 10:02 am

      Lucky you! We have a bicolor bolete patch on our property too. Glad the information we provided was helpful, and good on you for being cautious and careful in your identification.

  • Reply
    Michael H
    July 17, 2022 at 6:20 pm

    My fiancee and I have been mushroom hunting for about a year now and we re also from the upstate SC area. We recently found this mushroom in the Hartwell, GA area and are very excited to try it. I originally though it was a boletus sensibilus, but when cut, it bruised slowly. I didn’t know there was a pseudosensibilus and glad to have found this. The one we found was a bit old so we aren’t going to eat it, but the next one we find I am definitely going to try out this recipe!!!

    • Reply
      Aaron von Frank
      July 18, 2022 at 8:45 am

      Sounds like a good plan, Michael! Bicolor boletes are wonderful. We much prefer them when they’re still firm upon giving them a gentle squeeze versus the softer, spongy texture they take on when they’re older. When conditions are right, you can still find very large ones that are firm. We actually found a bunch of large firm ones this past weekend. Yum! Happy mushroom foraging to you and your fiancee.

  • Reply
    Lisa
    July 17, 2022 at 1:22 pm

    Hi there, I found what appears to be a typo, it says “There are a few bolete species that don’t have gills, such as gilled boletes (Phylloporus rhodoxanthus)…” I believe it’s meant to say “There are a few bolete species that DO have gills…”

  • Reply
    Jewel
    August 2, 2021 at 7:42 pm

    Hi, I would like to know what you consider flushing blue “slowly” means. I recently found a mushroom and performed the cut test. It took about 7 minutes for all the flesh to turn a blue hue. Would that be considered more immediate or slow?

    • Reply
      Aaron von Frank
      August 3, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      Hi Jewel! That’s quite slow on the blue flushing, indicating that what you’ve found is NOT a Boletus sensibilis. When the caps or stems of B. sensibilis are cut, they’ll blush blue in a matter of seconds, almost instantly. Hope this helps!

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