Latin name: Lepista nuda

General
The Wood Blewit is a very common wild mushroom. These mushrooms are picked in October and November, mainly in France. Young wild blewits are absolutely delicious. They have a sweet smell and a strong flavour. Wood Blewits are often sautéed and served with meat and game, but they are also perfect for use in pasta dishes.

The Wood Blewit is bluish-lilac in colour, particularly on the stem. Purple mildew can occur on the stem. This is a typical property of the Wood Blewit and is caused by the composition of the soil. This mildew forms when the growing medium is poor, but it is perfectly edible. It also occurs frequently with cultivated mushrooms, particularly those cultivated in caves. Unusually, this mildew also continues to grow after the mushroom has been harvested.

Description
The Wood Blewit has a beautiful mushroom shape. It has a long grey-purple stem about 8 to 10 cm in length and a large cream-coloured cap about 5-6 centimetres across. A pale brown membrane sometimes forms on the cap, caused by damp casing soil. The Wood Blewit has a high dry matter content so it releases very little liquid during frying. The flesh is fairly firm and the cap comes away easily.

Storage and shelf life
Wood Blewits grown in the Netherlands are very clean and need virtually no washing. If necessary, brush the Wood Blewit clean with a cloth, small brush or kitchen paper. The Wood Blewit will keep in the refrigerator for about five days.

Flavour and use
The Wood Blewit cannot be eaten raw. Sauté the Wood Blewit for a little longer than usual.

This mushroom combines wonderfully with different game dishes, or sauté as part of a mushroom medley.