porcini

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Porcini is the exact food word for this valued wild mushroom, especially in recipes, menus, and restaurant talk. Mushroom is much broader and does not tell you which kind is meant. Cep is a cooking name for the same mushroom and is heard more often in British or European food contexts. Boletus sounds more scientific and may refer to a wider group, not only porcini. Use porcini when the dish depends on that particular rich flavour. Use mushroom when the type is unimportant or unknown. For example, The chef added porcini to the sauce is precise, while We picked mushrooms in the woods is more general.

Common collocations

Etymology

Porcini came into English from Italian, where it is the plural form of porcino. The longer Italian expression fungo porcino literally means a pig mushroom. In modern English, the borrowed word is used mainly in cooking for this prized wild mushroom.