180-Pound Mushroom Unearthed In China

Yunnan, China, is famous for its mushrooms, but normally that renown relates to the mushrooms' flavor, not their amazing size. But a group of villagers in China's Yunnan province recently uncovered a record-breaking mushroom that weighs in at just more than 180 pounds.

According to Shanghaiist, the mushroom is the largest edible mushroom in the world. It is an enormous cluster of smaller mushrooms that forms one giant mushroom that is just shy of a meter tall and nearly a meter-and-a-half in diameter. It took 67 workers to dig it out of the ground once it was discovered.

Yunnan province has more than 600 species of edible mushrooms, and its mushrooms of unusual size have approached world-record status before. Shanghaiist reports that last July some residents uncovered an enormous 33-pound mushroom that was a world-record contender, but that one was practically 150 pounds lighter than this new one.

The World Record Association on Sunday confirmed that the Yunnan mushroom was a bona fide world-record mushroom. Yunnan province produces half of China's mushroom exports. If you happen to get a bite of this one, or some other good edible toadstools, check out some of our best mushroom recipes for some preparation ideas.