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    Peppery bolete

    Chalciporus piperatus (Bull.) Bataille · Boletaceae

    Edible with cautionRisk of confusion: low

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    Identification in 5 steps

    Peppery bolete
    Photo: Igor (Igor_Yevdokimov) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    The peppery bolete is a small, yellow-brown bolete with copper-red pores and a yellow stem base. Raw, it tastes hot like pepper, and dried it is used as a seasoning.

    SeasonJuly to October
    Spore printcinnamon brown
    FamilyBoletaceae
    1. Cap. The cap is 2 to 7 cm wide, copper to cinnamon brown and smooth.
    2. Underside. The pores are copper red to rust brown and angular.
    3. Stem, ring and volva. The stem is slender and the same colour as the cap, with chrome-yellow mycelium at the base. There is no ring or volva.
    4. Smell and taste. It tastes hot like pepper.
    5. Flesh and colour change. The flesh is yellowish, bright chrome yellow in the stem base.

    Lookalikes

    Because of its sharp taste, use only in small amounts as a seasoning.

    Habitat & Season

    Acidic soils. From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Host trees

    Spruce, pine, birch.

    Season

    possible good main season

    Mushroom regions with a daily forecast

    There are no records per region for this species yet. The country pages lead to all regions with a daily forecast.

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    Chance near you

    How good are the chances of finding this species where you are right now? We calculate it from weather, soil moisture, altitude and forest at your location.

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    Safety

    Never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty. For experienced foragers only: heed the restrictions, and if in doubt, do not eat it.

    Advice for your country

    United Kingdom

    Poison centre:

    NHS 111 (England)111

    Emergency: 999 · 112

    Ireland

    Poison centre:

    National Poisons Information Centre (public line)(01) 809 2166

    Emergency: 112 · 999

    Germany

    Poison centre:

    Giftnotruf Berlin030 19240Giftinformationszentrum München089 19240GIZ-Nord Göttingen0551 19240

    Emergency: 112

    Mushroom advice: DGfM: find a mushroom expert. Certified mushroom experts of the German Mycological Society (DGfM).

    Collecting rules: Mushrooms that are not specially protected may be collected in small quantities for personal use unless a protected area or ban applies. Certain specially protected edible species (e.g. cep, chanterelle, birch bolete) may be collected in small quantities for personal use.

    Austria

    Poison centre:

    Vergiftungsinformationszentrale (VIZ)01 406 43 43

    Emergency: 112 · 144

    Mushroom advice: Austrian Mycological Society (ÖMG): mushroom advice. Mushroom advice by the Austrian Mycological Society or regional services such as municipal market offices.

    Collecting rules: At most 2 kg of mushrooms per person per day unless the forest owner has prohibited collecting; organised collecting events are prohibited. Additional state rules apply (collecting hours, closed seasons), e.g. Carinthia, Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Salzburg.

    Conservation and collecting rules

    Not specially protected.

    No species-specific rule known.

    Red List Germany: Least concern

    In the kitchen

    Dried and ground as a pepper substitute, in small amounts in mixed dishes. Cook thoroughly; the heat fades when cooked.

    Well suited. Use only in small amounts. The suspicion of liver-damaging compounds is not proven.

    Frequently asked questions

    Peppery bolete: is it edible?

    Only with restrictions. Because of its sharp taste, use only in small amounts as a seasoning. Cook thoroughly; the heat fades when cooked.

    Peppery bolete: when and where does it grow?

    In central Europe the season runs from July to October. Tree partners and habitat: Spruce, pine, birch. Soil: Acidic soils. Elevation: From the lowlands up into the hills and mountains.

    Peppery bolete: what are the lookalikes?

    The most important distinction is from Bovine bolete (Suillus bovinus, edible): It is larger, has ochre pores and tastes mild. Other lookalikes: Orange larch bolete.

    Related species

    Mushroom trainer: test yourself

    Sources

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    No substitute for having your finds checked in person. No guarantee of accuracy. Updated: 17.10.2026.

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