Amanita Caesarea (Caesar’s Mushroom)

Amanita caesarea, commonly known as Caesar’s mushroom, is a highly regarded edible mushroom in the genus Amanita, native to southern Europe and North Africa. While it was first described by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1772, this mushroom was a known favorite of early rulers of the Roman Empire.

Amanita caesarea is a highly appreciated mushroom in Europe. It is traditionally gathered and consumed in Italy, where it is known as ovolo or ovolo buono or “fungo reale“. It has been traditionally taken as food in Mexico. There it is consumed roasted with a bit of the herb epazote, Dysphania ambrosioides. The international export market developed in the 1990s