Harmful and beneficial substances in the composition of bighead. The effect of the mushroom, contraindications to its use and side effects. Cooking recipes and all the most interesting things about the bighead.
The content of the article:
Golovach is a genus of mushrooms that includes more than 20 different specimens. Depending on this, the diameter of their cap can vary from 5 to 15 cm, and the height of the legs - from 2 to 20 cm. Despite this, their taste is always sweet and the flesh is very tender. In this way they resemble raincoats, with which they are often confused. They grow either in small groups or singly, from June to October. They are classified as edible mushrooms, only young bigheads are suitable for food; they are fried, boiled, stewed, baked, dried, and very rarely canned.
Composition and calorie content of golovach
It contains various vitamins, micro- and macroelements, amino acids, digestible carbohydrates, and sterols. Despite this, in my own way nutritional value it only belongs to the fourth category (the very last).
The calorie content of golovach per 100 g is 33 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 4.5 g;
- Fats - 1.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 5.4 g;
- Dietary fiber - 1.8 g;
- Water - 85.7 g;
- Ash - 1.4 g.
Golovach is an ideal product for people prone to heart disease because it contains a lot of potassium. In addition to this macroelement, it can become a source of equally useful phosphorus, magnesium, calcium and sulfur. All these minerals are needed for the synthesis of hemoglobin, renewal of red blood cells, and prevention of premature aging.
The composition of the capitol is not replete with microelements; it contains not much, but quite enough for health, copper, selenium, zinc, manganese and iron. Each of them has a beneficial effect on vision and bones, the level of male sex hormones, the pancreas and the immune system.
Note! Mushroom caps are much healthier than the stems, and their benefits are greater in their raw form than after heat treatment.
Useful properties of golovach
This mushroom is widely known for its powerful bactericidal properties. It is effective in combating various strains of streptococci, candida, salmonella and many other microorganisms. A number of studies have shown that thanks to it, zinc and copper accumulate in the body. It is also popular as a hemostatic and antioxidant agent.
Regular consumption of golovach allows you to achieve the following results:
- Improved vision. To prevent it from failing, the eyes need selenium, which is found in sufficient quantities in this mushroom. Thanks to this, the risk of farsightedness or myopia, asthenopia, cataracts, and retinal dystrophy is reduced.
- Normalization of heart function. The high percentage of potassium in the product suggests its effectiveness in the prevention of myocardial infarction, rheumatism, angina pectoris, arrhythmia and other cardiac diseases. With the help of golovach, the pressure decreases, the pulse is restored and the headaches go away.
- Strengthening immune system . For it to work without failures, the body must be constantly saturated with ascorbic and folic acid, iron. All three of these substances work in conjunction, so they must be supplied simultaneously, and this is precisely the benefit of bighead. Thus, there are more protective forces, and they are quite sufficient to repel the attacks of various viruses and bacteria.
- Cleansing the body. The main condition for this is the fiber content in the product. Since the bighead has no problems with this, it effectively removes excess cholesterol, toxins, heavy metal salts, and radionuclides. As a result, the functioning of the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, and general health also becomes consistently positive.
- Elimination of ENT diseases. The mushroom is recommended to be included in the diet for acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, sore throat, tonsillitis, laryngitis, pharyngitis. This is due to the fact that he is the source active substances, which fight staphylococci and other microorganisms, which most often create all the problems.
- Maintaining healthy joints and teeth. Calcium and phosphorus, contained in sufficient quantities in bighead, are responsible for this. Thanks to this, the product protects against various rheumatological diseases - arthrosis, osteochondrosis, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. The likelihood of periodontal disease, caries and other dental problems also decreases. This is especially important for pregnant women, the elderly, and children.
- Energy replenishment. Despite the low calorie content, after eating golovach you feel an increase in strength and your mood improves. That is why it is so relevant during spring blues, depression, emotional exhaustion.
Important! This is one of the few mushrooms that do not need to be boiled before further processing.
Harm and contraindications to consuming golovach
Like any other mushroom, you shouldn’t get carried away with the bighead - it is quite heavy for the stomach and intestines. Its use in cooking can lead to exacerbation of proctological diseases - colitis, ulcers, neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract. This product is not recommended to be served before bedtime; at least 2-3 hours should pass after eating. Otherwise, there is a risk that you will be bothered by diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, and discomfort in the right hypochondrium all night.
The following reasons may serve to remove bighead from the menu:
- Pancreatitis. When the pancreas is inflamed, all fatty foods are eliminated or minimized. Since golovach can also be called such a product, you need to stop eating it. If you break this rule, you may experience pain in your right side and severe nausea.
- Stomach or intestinal ulcer. In these cases, it is possible to open internal bleeding, exacerbation of inflammation, the appearance of sharp abdominal pain.
- Gastritis in the acute stage. With this disease, eating golovach can result in severe heartburn, increased acidity in the stomach and its cramps, nausea and even vomiting.
- Hypertension. At high blood pressure You can’t drink a lot of water and eat anything that contains a large amount of fat, and this product is their source. Therefore, careless introduction of it into the diet threatens migraines, drowsiness, and heart pain.
Recipes for dishes with golovach
Young specimens with white flesh are suitable for use for culinary purposes, but those that are overripe can lead to intoxication of the body. You should always choose only fresh mushrooms, and they should not lie in the refrigerator for more than 3-5 days. If the shelf life needs to be increased, they can be dried, salted or frozen. It should also be taken into account that the pulp of the golovach contains a lot of water, so frying it does not require a large amount of oil.
Of all the recipes, it is worth paying special attention to the following:
- Fried golovach. It (1 kg) needs to be washed well, dried, cut into strips and sautéed in large quantities vegetable oil. The heat should be high for the first 5-10 minutes, after which it should be reduced and cover the pan with a lid. Before this, add chopped white onion (1-2 heads), garlic (no more than 5 cloves), salt and pepper to taste, sour cream (2 tbsp.). At the end, if you want, you can add the grated hard cheese(50-100 g).
- Schnitzel. Wash and soak the mushrooms for 1-2 hours. While they are standing in the water, prepare the batter. To do this, combine milk (3 tbsp), egg (2 pcs.), salt to taste and enough flour to give the mass a consistency similar to sour cream. Next, without cutting the golovach, dip it in the batter, place it in a hot frying pan coated with vegetable oil, leaving it on low heat for 10-15 minutes. When one side is golden brown, turn the mushroom over to the other.
- Stuffed cabbage rolls. First of all, take care of the cabbage (white cabbage). One head should be boiled in salted water for 2-3 minutes, and then carefully disassembled into leaves so as not to tear them. Next, you need to cut off all existing hard areas and prepare the filling. To do this, wash, chop and fry mushrooms (800 g), carrots and onions (1 pc. each). Then boil the rice (150 g) and combine all the ingredients, not forgetting to salt and pepper the mixture. Now slowly place them in the middle of the sheet and wrap it like a pancake. Then straighten the ends inward and place everything in a deep enamel pan. After this, fry the onions and carrots, pour it over the cabbage rolls, which need to be filled with tomato diluted 50% with water, salt and pepper and simmer over low heat. The cooking time for this dish is about 20 minutes.
- Cream soup. Peel and boil the potatoes (1-2 pieces per 2 liters of water). Then fry one carrot and onion, mushrooms (350 g), washed and dried in advance. Pour all this into a saucepan and add 3 tbsp. l. pitted olives. Boil the broth, then sprinkle it with grated processed cheese (1 piece), salt, pepper, beat until smooth and sprinkle with dill. Before serving the soup, you can season it with homemade cream.
- Pilaf. It is very simple to prepare - all you need to do is boil rice (no more than 200 g), which must first be washed, fry peeled carrots and onions (1 pc.), mushrooms (250 g). All this should be combined, pour in a glass of vegetable oil, preferably refined, which does not smell strongly, add salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until tender. If necessary, you can add a little water.
There are more than 20 varieties of mushroom. The most delicious is considered to be the baggy bighead, which grows singly or in small groups in gardens, fields and pastures, in young mixed deciduous forests. Its collection period is from May to September. It is best to go after it immediately after rain, as it loves moisture very much. The height of the leg of this representative of the bighead genus is more than 10 cm, and the width is about 2 cm. Its cap is round, with a slightly rough surface.
Other, no less useful look these mushrooms are oblong. Most often, unlike its fellow raincoat, it can be found on the edges of forests and clearings, even in October. The fruit body reaches a height of more than 7 cm and has a creamy clay color. The cap here is almost smooth and slightly extended upward. Its pulp is very tender and soft.
Langermania (giant bighead) is also widespread. It has an egg-shaped or spherical fruit body, consisting of a head with a diameter of up to 50 cm. Its pulp is very dense, but not hard, white. As it develops, its color changes to olive brown.
Due to the presence of small "spikes" on the surface, this mushroom is sometimes mistaken for a puffball. This does not pose any harm to health, since both are edible.
Golovach is very popular among representatives of traditional medicine. It is widely used as a remedy for inflammation internal organs and stopping bleeding. To achieve this, apply a mushroom cap cut in half to the problem area. If it is not available, then a powder made from spore powder will do.
For ENT diseases (sore throat, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections, etc.), extracts from the pulp of the caps are used. They have been proven to treat hives and chickenpox, relieve pain and lower body temperature. These are very unpretentious mushrooms, ideal for cultivation.
The Guinness Book of Records contains the most big bighead giant, found in 2010 in the UK. He was given this honor because of his enormous height (1.7 m).
Bighead spores have a good effect in preventing tumors. They have excellent antiblastic properties, confirmed in studies involving sick animals.
Watch the video about the bighead mushroom:
Unlike other mushrooms, golovach recipes do not require pre-boiling. This allows you to save time on cooking and experiment as much as you like. Considering this, it will be very difficult to find an ingredient more ideal for soups, salads, and various side dishes.
Golovach is a mushroom of the Champignon family. It acquired such a meaningful name due to its special shape, similar to a large sugar loaf. This fungus is respected by many for taste qualities. Experienced mushroom pickers arrange quiet hunt hunt bigheads almost throughout the entire summer, and then prepare various delicacies from the catch, which they eat with pleasure. The mushroom is really tasty, and its flesh has a snow-white hue and a dense structure. But, even despite its excellent qualities, it cannot be called too common. The point here is not at all about the habitat; it is quite extensive. And the fact is that many have not even heard about the golovach mushroom.
Habitats and external signs
The bighead mushroom, the photo of which is presented in this article, can be found in both deciduous and coniferous forest. It grows in many countries with moderate continental climate, including in Russia and the countries of the former CIS.
Golovach is one of the firstborns who grow up earlier than their forest counterparts. You can go hunting for this mushroom at the end of May. And the most delicious bigheads found in forests in August. With the first frost, the mushroom will stop bearing fruit, and the mycelium will “fall asleep” until next spring.
When going in search of bigheads, remember their unusual appearance. The mushroom is quite large, but its most prominent part is the “head”, that is, the ball-shaped cap.
Varieties and look-alikes of bigheads
Many people call this one. In fact, they are really quite similar, and they are related. However these are two different types. Nothing bad will happen if you pick up a basket of puffballs, call them bigheads, stew them with potatoes and eat to your heart's content - both species are edible. But it is still worth understanding the difference. The puffball is smaller than the bighead, its surface may be beige rather than white, and it is rough to the touch.
There are several subspecies of bigheads. They get along well side by side and often live in the same forests. The differences concern primarily external features. For example, a mushroom usually reaches 20 cm in height, but there are cases when mushroom pickers have caught 50-centimeter specimens! One mushroom is enough for several servings.
Use in cooking
Taste, texture, aroma and ease of use are qualities for which chefs respect the golovach mushroom. How to cook something delicious from it? A hint can be found in recipes for cooking champignons. This mushroom is more common and familiar. You can safely crumble bigheads into any dish whose recipe calls for the use of champignons.
On the first day you return from the forest with your prey, be sure to clean the mushrooms. How to do this is intuitively clear - everything unnecessary can be easily removed on its own. Cut the mushroom into cubes, place in salted boiling water and boil for about 40-50 minutes. Pour the water into the sink; you cannot use it for making soups and gravy - it can cause poisoning, and it usually tastes terrible. Rinse the mushrooms and use as you wish. A small selection of ideas will help you make a choice.
- Fry the golovachs in oil and pour into a cauldron. Add raw potatoes, pour boiling water over them, and simmer. Fry the onion in a frying pan, add it to the cauldron 5 minutes before readiness. For 2 kg of potatoes you will need 700-800 g of mushrooms and a couple of onions. Serve with homemade sausage, smoked lard, and sauerkraut.
- Fry mushrooms, onions, and carrots in boiling fat. If desired, add a small amount of eggplant or zucchini. When the vegetables are completely cooked, puree the mixture in a blender. - a great lifesaver that can be served with sandwiches, added to baking fillings, wrapped in pancakes, stuffed with vol-au-vents.
- Golovach is a mushroom that is also suitable for pickling. Pour the boiled golovach marinade, for the preparation of which mix 1 liter of water, 4 tbsp. l. vinegar, 1 tbsp. l. salt, 1-1.5 tbsp. l. sugar and a pinch of your favorite seasonings. Leave the mushrooms to marinate for 12-14 hours. Serve as an appetizer, topped with homemade vegetable oil.
The benefits of golovach
Nutritionists say that this species is rich in protein, which is easily digestible. If you have the opportunity to include bigheads in your diet, be sure to take advantage of it. You will replenish your reserves of valuable microelements and vitamins. Golovach is a mushroom that can be included in the menu even daily.
How not to do it
However, there are a number of contraindications. First, avoid the adult bighead. A mushroom that has become overripe is not suitable for food. It has accumulated so many toxins in its pulp that it lethal force can compete with all sorts of fly agarics and toadstools.
Young mushrooms are completely safe. However, even they cannot be included in the menu of children under eight years of age. This restriction applies to absolutely everyone forest mushrooms, since the child simply does not yet have enough enzymes necessary for the digestion and assimilation of mushrooms.
Otherwise, there are no taboos. Prepare golovach mushrooms the way you like, eat them yourself and treat your guests.
Taxonomy:
- Division: Basidiomycota (Basidiomycetes)
- Subdivision: Agaricomycotina (Agaricomycetes)
- Class: Agaricomycetes (Agaricomycetes)
- Subclass: Agaricomycetidae (Agaricomycetes)
- Order: Agaricales (Agaric or Lamellar)
- Family: Agaricaceae (Champignonaceae)
- Genus: Calvatia (Calvation)
- View: Calvatia gigantea (Giant loggerhead)
- Other names for the mushroom:
Other names:
The raincoat is gigantic;
Langermania gigantea;
Bovista gigantea;
Langermannia gigantea;
Lycoperdon giganteum.
Giant golovach is a species of mushroom from the genus of the Champignon family.
Langermania (bighead) giant (Calvatia gigantea) - the body of the mushroom fruit has the shape of a ball or egg, flattened, the size in diameter sometimes reaches 50 cm, at the base there is a thick root-like mycelial strand. The exoperidium is papery, very thin, and quickly cracks into irregular pieces and disappears. The shell is thick and brittle, breaks into pieces irregular shape and falls away, revealing the cotton-like inner pulp (gleba).
The pulp (gleba) is initially white, then yellow-green, and when fully ripe it becomes olive-brown. The color of the fruiting body on the outside is initially white, then gradually turns brown with time of ripening.
Spores are a valuable medicine. They exhibit a high antitumor effect. The medicine calvacin was made from the mushroom, the properties of which were tested on animals with cancer and sarcoma. This drug is active against 13 types of tumors studied out of 24. It is also used in folk medicine to treat smallpox, laryngitis, urticaria, and has an anesthetic property similar to chloroform.
Distribution - the mushroom can be found almost everywhere, but most often in temperate zone. It occurs alone, but once it appears in one place, it may disappear completely or not appear for a very long time. This type is called “meteor”. On the territory of Russia it was found in the European part, in Karelia, in the Far East, in Siberia in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Also in the North Caucasus. Grows in mixed and deciduous forests, meadows, fields, pastures, and steppes one at a time.
Edibility - the mushroom is edible in at a young age until the flesh is firm, firm and white.
Video about the giant golovach mushroom:
Giant bighead mushroom March 1st, 2017
I haven’t gone mushroom picking for a hundred years, but I remember that in many regions this is a rather dreary task. Yes, somewhere in the Vladimir region they go exclusively for porcini mushrooms or chanterelles. And in our region, they mostly go for boletus. Well, you can collect small slippery oils, but the big ones are still wormy. Then you'll have a lot of trouble cleaning up.
If only there was a mushroom like this, you could pick a couple, no worms or rot, cut it into pieces and here’s a whole frying pan for you!
Yes, this is the mushroom of your dreams!
Photo 2. 
Langermannia gigantea is difficult to confuse with other mushrooms, and more precisely, it is impossible. Its spherical fruiting body resembles a huge white ball, the diameter of which can reach 50 centimeters.
Photo 3. 
Most often, this mushroom can be found in a single specimen or in small groups. They grow in fields, meadows, edges of deciduous or mixed forests, gardens and parks. As for distribution, the mushroom grows over vast areas Western Europe, European part of Russia, Far East(Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territory) and Siberia (Krasnoyarsk Territory).
Photo 4. 
The golovach has a spherical or slightly elongated fruiting body with a diameter of 10 to 50 centimeters. Average weight such a mushroom is 1-4 kilograms. But there are specimens up to 25 kilograms! The cap and leg are missing.
Photo 5. 
The outside of the mushroom is covered with a thin, sensitive skin. The color is white, but as it ripens it begins to turn yellow and green. Old mushrooms crack and expose their internal contents - gleba (spores). In a still young mushroom, it is white and in consistency resembles cottage cheese or marshmallow. As the gleba matures, it also darkens and eventually becomes olive-brown.
Photo 6. 
Fruiting bodies are formed in August-October, and in the south of Russia - until November.
This mushroom is edible, but it should be eaten at a young age, while the flesh is white.
Photo 7. 
Giant bighead contains the antibiotic calvacin, from which a drug is made that suppresses the healing of malignant tumors and sarcoma. Spores of a mature fungus have hemostatic properties.
Photo 8. 
Don Smith was walking with his daughter's dog in the town of North Dorchester, near Woodstock, when he noticed something white and large in the bushes. I came closer and saw that it was a mushroom.
"I've never seen raincoats this big before in my life," Don Smith told CBC Windsor.
Don carefully cut it off and brought it home. The mushroom weighed seven kilograms. It reached half a meter in diameter.
Photo 9. 
The mushroom picker's daughter posted a photo of this find on her Facebook page. In just one evening, people shared this photo 2,600 times.
Similar giant mushrooms This is not the first time they have been found in southwestern Ontario. In 2011, the London Free Press reported on an eight-cologram raincoat with a height of one and a half meters.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, a record-breaking raincoat with a height of 1.7 meters was found in the UK in 2010.
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Well, why did you eat such a mushroom? Can one mushroom really feed the whole family?
The giant golovach is a type of puffball mushroom. Almost everyone knows it and it grows everywhere. However, many do not realize that this product can be eaten and also used as medicine. This mushroom has useful and unique properties.
Description of the mushroom
The giant golovach has many names: hare potato, duster, tobacco mushroom, and so on. This is due to various factors. However, it is this mushroom that actively absorbs toxins contained in environment, although in many ways superior to other types of mushrooms.
It belongs to the Champignon family. The giant golovach differs from other varieties of puffballs in its size. The mushroom has a spherical or ovoid shape. Moreover, it can have a yellow-gray or white color. Often a kind of fallen shell collects on its surface. As a result, the bighead looks unattractive. The weight of the mushroom can reach up to 7 kilograms. Over time it begins to darken, and in the end life cycle takes on a brown tint.
Features of the mushroom
The raincoat - the giant bighead - has many features. This mushroom is very beneficial for the body. Its main feature is the absorption of radionuclides, as well as heavy metal salts. After eating a dish prepared from a raincoat, harmful substances quickly leave the body naturally.
It is worth noting that due to this property, golovach is used for the manufacture of dietary supplements. As practice shows, such products cleanse the body well and allow you to restore skin and make them more elastic. If desired, you can cook golovach tasty dish at home.
Growing area
The giant golovach is a mushroom that does not have a specific growing area. He is well known in our country. You can find such a raincoat everywhere. However, most often it occurs in moderate climatic zone on fertile soils.
As a rule, the mushroom can be found on open spaces: in the park, in pastures, in meadows and on the outskirts of the forest, in the field. Raincoats grow in small groups. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a bighead in the same place twice. If the season is successful, up to three waves of fruiting can be observed. You can collect such mushrooms from the end of May to the beginning of November. The main thing is to choose the right raincoat, since not all of them are suitable for indoor use.
How to choose the right mushroom
For many, the giant golovach seems to be exclusively poisonous mushroom. However, it is not. It can be eaten. The main thing is to know how to choose. Do not pack raincoats in wet weather. Otherwise they will lose their appearance, turning into a gray substance. This product should not be used.
Only young mushrooms should be used for cooking. They do not need to be boiled and soaked to remove harmful components. Raincoats can be immediately added to the dish during its preparation. In addition, young mushrooms have denser and more elastic flesh.
Old raincoats are dangerous because they absorb a lot of toxins. It is also not recommended to collect mushrooms growing along highways.
Use in cooking
The giant golovach is used to prepare many dishes. After all, this product is not only tasty, but also healthy. It is worth noting that this mushroom can replace meat. The product is ideal for those on a diet, as its calorie content is 27 kcal. In this case, a raincoat can:
- stew;
- bake;
- marinate;
- fry;
- cook;
- salt and so on.
However, the mushrooms must be prepared before cooking. To do this, remove the skin from white fruits. The pulp is usually cut into cubes. It is worth noting that raincoats go well not only with vegetables, but also with meat.
How to fry mushrooms
If you find a suitable giant golovach, you don’t have to think twice about how to cook it. Simply peeled and chopped mushrooms need to be rolled in flour mixed with a little salt and then fried in vegetable oil.
This dish is served with a special sauce. To cook it, you need to peel it and then chop it finely. Bell pepper chop capers, pickled or pickled cucumbers. The components should be placed in a deep container, salted and seasoned with mayonnaise and lemon juice. And to give the finished dish a more interesting taste, you should add a little soy sauce. In this case, the amount of salt should be reduced.
How to cook soup
Giant golovach, the preparation of which does not require pre-processing, is also used for making soups. To do this you will need:
- chicken broth;
- carrot;
- mushrooms;
- flour;
- vegetable oil;
- canned peas;
- fresh greens.
Onions and carrots should be peeled and fried in vegetable oil. Add prepared vegetables to ready chicken bouillon. Peel and cut the mushrooms into slices, roll in flour and fry in a frying pan in vegetable oil. Then you should put them in the broth. Cook the soup for at least 10 minutes. Finally, add peas and chopped herbs to the dish.
Golovach with sour cream
The giant golovach mushroom, the preparation of which is not particularly difficult, can become the basis for many dishes. So, to prepare an independent dish from a raincoat, you will need:
- 0.5 kg of mushrooms;
- 0.2 l sour cream;
- 0.3 kg of potatoes;
- 2 pcs. onions;
- seasoning and vegetable oil.
This amount of ingredients is enough to prepare 4 large servings.
How to cook
The cooking process does not take much time. Potatoes should be peeled and boiled. In this case, young root vegetables are ideal. Peel the raincoats, wash well and chop into slices or cubes, then fry in vegetable oil. This takes at least 25 minutes.
While the raincoats are being prepared, you should peel the onion, cut it into half rings, and then fry until golden in a separate frying pan. After which both components should be combined in one container. Season the mixture with salt and fry for 15 minutes.
Finally, you need to add sour cream to the dish. It's better to do this 5 minutes before it's ready. The ingredients should be mixed and then simmered over low heat. The dish is ready.
It should be served with boiled potatoes. You can also use steamed fluffy rice as a side dish.
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