
Further Reflections on Amanita Muscaria as an Edible Species (2012) - benbreen
https://bayareamushrooms.org/education/further_reflections_amanita_muscaria.html
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lioeters
Back when I studied biology, I found it fascinating that two of the major
categories of neurotransmitter receptors are muscarinic and nicotinic
receptors, named after: muscarine, from the Amanita muscaria mushroom; and
nicotine, from tobacco and other plants from the nightshade family.

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mda
Nit, Amanita muscaria does not really contain muscarin but muscimol and
ibotenic acid. Latter causes stomach upset.

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lioeters
I see, you're right - according to Wikipedia:

"Muscarine is only a trace compound in the fly agaric Amanita muscaria; the
pharmacologically more relevant compounds from this mushroom are ibotenic acid
and muscimol. A. muscaria fruitbodies contain a variable dose of muscarine,
usually around 0.0003% fresh weight."

Looks like there's a historical reason why muscarine is associated with
Amanita muscaria: it was first isolated from the mushroom by a German chemist
in 1869.

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derefr
What’s the difference between a mushroom that is poisonous unless boiled, and,
say, a potato? If we consider potatoes “edible”—do we?—then it’d make sense to
me to classify these mushrooms the same way.

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dfsegoat
With many edible fungi species - Boletes for instance - boiling can be the
difference between getting sick (2-3 days of GI distress) and a good meal.

When it comes to other species like Amanita phalloides (death cap) or Galerina
sp. - which contain Amatoxins and resemble edibles - boiling will have no
effect: You will need a liver transplant [1].

Amanita muscaria does not contain amatoxins - but it does contain muscimol and
ibotenic acid, which are interesting in their own right [2].

1 -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatoxin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatoxin)

2 -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscimol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscimol)

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Alex3917
> With many edible fungi species - Boletes for instance

What are examples of bolete species that are only edible if boiled? I know of
a lot that are only edible if well cooked, but haven't heard of any that are
only edible if specifically boiled. (I'm from New England / mid-Atlantic
though, so I only know the ones around here.)

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pvaldes
Boletus erythropus, but eating Boletus with red pores is a bad idea. The
venomous species share this feature.

In theory, Is said that venomous boletus boiled are less toxic, but they still
have unpleasant effects.

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Alex3917
Interesting. Yeah I've never used the regional bolete rules-of-thumb (not
red/orange pored, not fast blueing, not B. huronensis) to decide whether or
not to eat something.

I think I need to just go take the Eagle Hill bolete class with the Bessettes
one year if they keep offering it, otherwise I feel like they're just too hard
to really ID beyond the handful of really easy ones.

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cptvideo
Foodie here. I love a good Chantarelle or Maitake as well as the next guy, but
I don't understand what could be left of the flavor (not to mention nutrition)
in anything that you boiled long enough to detoxify it.

What's the point in all of this tempting of the Fates who are in charge of
poisons?

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wool_gather
Interesting (scary?) to note that the Wikipedia article for _Amanita muscaria_
briefly mentions de-toxification in the above-the-fold section.

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howlin
As with many things that may or may not be too poisonous to count as food,
it's worth looking at these compared to ethanol. The lethal dose of ethanol is
fairly low multiple of the dose that will provide a buzzed or pleasantly drunk
state. Seems like these Muscaria follow that same pattern.

In a sense, they are less toxic than ethanol because they can in principle be
detoxified by cooking. Compared to ethanol, the main worry seems to be the
inconsistent concentration of intoxicants between mushrooms, and the delayed
psychotropic effect making it hard to tell if you've consumed too much.

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jlg23
You pointed out one aspect: the in inconsistent concentration of intoxicants.

You are missing another crucial point: time until onset of the effects.

It is much easier to consume a lethal dose of mushrooms than ethanol before
your body violently rejects the poison (colloquially known as "vomiting")

