How to Identify Scarlet Elf Cup Wild Mushroom – Edible
Common Names: Scarlet Elf cup, scarlet cup fungus, moss cup, fairy bath.
Botanical Name:
Sarcoscypha austriaca and Sarcoscypha coccinea
Scientific Classification:
Kingdom: Fungi, Division: Ascomycota, Subdivision: Pezizomycotina, Class: Pezizomycetes, Order: Pezizales, Family: Sarcoscyphaceae, Genus: Sarcoscypha,
Species: S. austriaca
Range and Distribution:
Common over the northern hemisphere.
Habitat:
Commonly found on dead or decaying damp hard wood, specifically around mosses, lichens and leaf litter.
Physical Characteristics:
The fruit body, up to 5cm across is circular or oval, initially it is cup shaped, later becoming more disc shaped, connecting to the substrate with a small stem. The inside of this fungi’s cup is a brilliant red with a smooth and shiny complexion. The outside of the cup and short stem range from a light pink to white and resembled a felted mass of extremely short hairs (under a microscope these are corkscrew shaped). White spore print (under a microscope these are ellipsoidal with flattened ends containing several oil droplets).
Folklore, tall tales, and not so folklore:
It’s believed that the elves of the wood visit these cups in the morning and drink the dew from them. We like to pretend to be woodland elves, using these magical goblets to drink our sloe gin and birch sap from.
Edible Use:
Whole fruit body cooked (raw with caution), although be sure to test your sensitivity by only eating a small amount at first – especially if eating raw. Fergus has eaten these raw (with out any problems) for 20 years, but never more than about 10 averaged sized fungi at a time. The gorgeous colour makes this fungus especially suitable to liven up a salad or as a garnish for consommés.
Herbal:
Carotanoids give this fungi is amazing colours, specifically beta-carotene and plectaniaxanthin – which are both noted to slow down the deterioration of eyesight with age.
Miscellaneous:
These striking fungi can often be found when collecting the season’s first wild garlic in February. A rarely recorded white coloured form and a bright yellow variety have also been reported.
Tips and Observations:
One of the great things about this fungi is that its amazing colour isn’t lost during cooking and can therefore add a really nice contrast of colour to dishes. They work especially well floated on a consommés, and tossed in green leafy salads, as well as grain salads.
The last word goes to……..
Whoever might say or have thought, “these ruby jewels of the elfish realm look so magical amidst the emerald moss that I think I’ll just sit and admire their startling wonderousness, after all, just because they are edible doesn’t mean I have to eat them. What say you elves?”
https://totallywilduk.co.uk/cooking/fungi-foraging-mushrooms/scarlet-elf-cup-foraging/identify-scarlet-elf-cups-foraging/
Scarlet elf cup – Identification, edibility, distribution
http://www.gallowaywildfoods.com/scarlet-elf-cup-identification-edibility-distribution/
The Scarlet Elf Cup, Sarcoscypha coccinea. Edible Mushroom UK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKweUZckWds
Scarlet Elf Cup Blog:
https://www.forestfloornarrative.com/blog/2018/4/13/fungi-friday-the-scarlet-elf-cup
Meet the stunning scarlet elf cup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTe3EouS-Hw
